BCCI Domestic posted highlights of Rajat Patidar’s century in the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy Final on their official Instagram account, nine days before the 2026-27 edition begins. The two-time IPL-winning RCB captain scored 101 off 115 balls in the Final last September, leading Central Zone to their first Duleep Trophy title in 11 years. He will captain the defending champions again when they enter the semi-finals directly on August 30.
View this post on Instagram
The reel, captioned “Duleep Diaries,” was posted from BCCI Domestic’s verified Instagram account (@officialbccidomestic) on August 13, 2026, and has crossed 184,000 likes. No official statement on Patidar’s India selection status has accompanied the post.
Central Zone were 93 for 3 on Day 2 of the Final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Gurjapneet Singh was moving the ball both ways in the mid-130s. Vasuki Koushik had already sent Akshay Wadkar’s off stump cartwheeling with an inswinger. Patidar responded by attacking. He drove Koushik through mid-off, swept Ricky Bhui behind square, and upper-cut Gurjapneet for six over deep third. He reached fifty off 72 balls and completed his 15th first-class century with a single to mid-off.
His partnership with Yash Rathod added 167 for the fourth wicket. Central Zone finished 384 for 5, leading by 235, and won the Final by six wickets. Patidar finished as the tournament’s highest run-scorer with 382 runs at 76.40, including two centuries. It was Central Zone’s seventh Duleep Trophy title.
“This wicket was slightly dry, and that is why we decided to bowl first. We wanted to bowl them out in the first innings as early as possible. That was our aim and it made the game easier.”
Rajat Patidar, post-match, Duleep Trophy Final, September 2025
Why Is Rajat Patidar Not in India’s Squad?
Patidar captains RCB, Madhya Pradesh across all formats, and Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy. He led RCB to back-to-back IPL titles in 2025 and 2026, the third captain after MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to win consecutive championships. He scored 501 runs in IPL 2026 at a strike rate of 192.69. He has over 5,100 first-class runs.
None of it has earned a place in any India squad in 2026. He was excluded from T20I squads for Ireland, England, and the Asian Games. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar said the selectors can only pick 15 and called it a luxury to have so many options. The No. 4 spot has Tilak Varma, Shreyas Iyer, and Ishan Kishan ahead of him. Patidar has not represented India since February 2024.
Insider Read:
Rajat Patidar reads a game from the inside, and his decisions in the Duleep Trophy Final proved it.
The decision to bowl first in a Final separates Patidar from most domestic captains. Batting first is the safe call. Patidar looked at a slightly dry pitch and went the other way.
“We predicted that it would help the fast bowlers, but I wanted to give one spinner at least an over to see how the pitch is responding. I realised there was more help for the spinners rather than the fast bowlers.”
Rajat Patidar, post-match, Duleep Trophy Final, September 2025
Giving a spinner an over early to test conditions is not a move from a coaching manual. It comes from years of reading Indian wickets where the character shifts session by session. South Zone went in with three seamers and one spinner. Patidar trusted his spinners. Kumar Kartikeya and Saransh Jain shared 16 wickets in the Final. His read of the game decided the trophy.
His batting showed the same instinct. At 93 for 3 with the ball doing plenty, he was choosing scoring zones before the bowler started his run-up. Against Gurjapneet’s pace, he looked for width and went over the top. Against Bhui’s off-spin, he swept and slog-swept. That ability to switch methods ball by ball comes from batting through hundreds of domestic innings on tracks that change every session. It is not something you pick up in nets. It is something Indian domestic cricket teaches you when you pay attention.
The 2026-27 Duleep Trophy begins on August 23 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Central Zone enter the semi-finals on August 30. Rinku Singh is vice-captain. Saransh Jain, with India’s Test squad for Sri Lanka until August 27, may join in time. Aman Mokhade, who scored 760 Ranji Trophy runs last season at an average of 76, adds depth to a batting unit built around its captain.
Every team Patidar leads, he wins with. The one team that does not pick him is India.
Sources:
[Central Zone squad announcement, August 2026] BCCI.tv
Also Read:
