The Duleep Trophy 2026 got underway on August 23, 2026, with two quarter-finals being held simultaneously at two grounds inside the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. East Zone are battling it out against North East Zone on Ground 2, while North Zone and West Zone squaring off on Ground 1.
Several batters have used the early round to press their case for a place in India’s Test setup. Three players in particular have caught the eye with their performances across the two quarter-finals.
3 batters who can break into the Indian Test team after Duleep Trophy 2026
3. Shahbaz Ahmed
Shahbaz Ahmed is a batting all-rounder from Bengal who represents East Zone in the 2026 Duleep Trophy. Coming in against North East Zone in the first quarter-final, he produced an outstanding all-round display that is difficult to overlook at the national selection level.
In the same match, Shahbaz scored 167 off 244 balls before picking up three wickets with his left-arm spin. That kind of contribution with both bat and ball makes him a compelling candidate for the Indian Test side, where all-round depth is always valued. People who have seen Shahbaz playing in the Indian Premier League would know that he is also a top-notch fielder.
