The Duleep Trophy 2023 final is all set to be held between the South Zone and the West Zone. In a repeat of the 2022 final, West Zone will have a proud record to defend and will also be keen on winning yet another title and having a repeat of the previous season. On the other hand, South Zone will be seeking redemption and will look to get their hands on the title after their defeat in the 2022 season.
West Zone’s campaign has been led by one man, the accomplished Indian batter Cheteshwar Pujara. The 35-year-old put in a sensational performance in the Duleep Trophy semi-final, where he scored a massive 133 runs against Central Zone and propelled his side to the summit clash of the competition.
Ahead of the much-anticipated clash between West Zone and South Zone, Pujara took to Twitter and shared a clip of him in the nets doing batting practice. “Gearing up for the finals! #DuleepTrophy,” Pujara captioned the video.
Gearing up for the finals! 🙌 #DuleepTrophy pic.twitter.com/q44i8WgqQS
— Cheteshwar Pujara (@cheteshwar1) July 11, 2023
It could be a possibility that Pujara could be the most important player for West Zone in their quest for the title and with an excellent performance in the semi-finals, he will look to put in a similar showing from July 12 when they take on South Zone.
Pujara looking to redeem himself following India snub
Pujara last featured for India in the final of the World Test Championship when the side took on Australia at the Oval in London. Notably, India was dominated throughout the five days of play by Australia and eventually lost the game by 209 runs.
Furthermore, as the side gears up for their upcoming series against the West Indies, Cheteshwar Pujara has been sidelined from the Test squad. Many fans took to Twitter to criticize the board’s decision to leave the 35-year-old out.
With many wondering if this would be the end of the line for Pujara in his international career, the veteran will be keen on proving the doubters wrong and possibly making his India comeback in the coming months.