Duleep Trophy: West Zone Start Favourites In Semi Final As Big Guns Eye Turnaround

Redemption will be the central theme when a clutch of cricketers from the West Zone, including Cheteshwar Pujara and Prithvi Shaw, enter the field for the Duleep Trophy semifinals against Central Zone, starting from Wednesday. For the crucial clash, the West Zone bring in Pujara, Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav and Sarfaraz Khan and all four batters need a career reboot. Pujara, a veteran of 103 Tests and over 7000 runs, has scripted tales of valour over the years. But now he finds himself out of reckoning for India. He was dropped from India's squad for the tour of West Indies after a modest outing during the World Test Championship final against Australia last month. He will be eager to make a statement of intent during the Duleep Trophy.

Rewind to the cryptic tweet of him batting that was shared on his timeline soon after he was omitted from the Test squad. It is imperative then for him to be among runs because India will not be playing a Test series until later this year post their West Indies assignment.

Shaw and Sarfaraz also fall under that redemption line, but there is a subtle subtext to it. Reasons more than cricket have contributed to them remaining outside the India tent.

Shaw is a precocious talent, of that there is no doubt. After all, not many batters have made centuries on debut in Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and in Test cricket.

He had also led India to an ICC Under-19 World Cup victory in 2018. But after those heady days, the 23-year-old has played a total of five Tests, six ODIs and one T20I.

Despite a 379 off 383 balls against Assam in the Ranji Trophy early this January, Shaw has fallen down the Indian pecking order. His indiscipline off the field has often come under the scanner.

He has recently signed a