Vysakh vijayakumar

BCCI CoE Ground: With changes in personnel due to international duties and injuries, South Zone and North Zone will be keen to put their best foot forward when they face-off in the Duleep Trophy semi-final at the BCCI CoE Ground on Thursday.

South Zone will feel the impact of the absence of its skipper, left-handed batter Tilak Varma, fast bowler Vysakh Vijayakumar, and left-arm spinner R. Sai Kishore. While Varma is set to play in the Asia Cup in the UAE from September 9-28, Vijayakumar and Sai Kishore are sidelined with their respective injuries.

The absence of an in-form Varma means skipper Mohammed Azharuddeen, vice-captain and wicketkeeper N. Jagadeesan, Ricky Bhui, Devdutt Padikkal, and Salman Nizar, who recently hit 11 sixes in 13 balls in the Kerala Cricket League (KCL), will have to shoulder huge responsibility to get big runs for South Zone.