Sarfaraz Khan's selection for India's upcoming Test series has led to an important change in the West Zone squad for the 2026 Duleep Trophy. With Sarfaraz moving into the Indian Test setup as a replacement for the injured Sai Sudharsan, Saurashtra batter Jay Gohil has been promoted from the standby list to the main squad.

The 25-year-old right-handed batter now has a major opportunity to make an impression in one of India's premier domestic red-ball tournaments.

Jay Gohil replaces Sarfaraz Khan

Rajesh Pawar, the West Zone and Mumbai chief selector, confirmed that Jay Gohil has been added to the squad in place of Sarfaraz.

Gohil was already part of the standby group, so his promotion comes at an important moment in his career. He has consistently produced useful performances for Saurashtra in domestic cricket and will now get the opportunity to perform alongside several established names in the West Zone team.

He is the second Saurashtra player in the squad, joining wicketkeeper-batter Harvik Desai.

Gohil has an impressive first-class record

Gohil was part of Saurashtra's Ranji Trophy-winning team during the 2022-23 season. In his debut campaign, he scored 337 runs in nine innings at an average of nearly 37.

His overall first-class numbers have since improved significantly. In 12 matches, the right-hander has scored 860 runs at an average of around 48. His record includes two centuries and four half-centuries.

His most recent first-class appearance came against Chandigarh earlier this year, when he produced an impressive match-winning score of 98.

The Duleep Trophy now gives him another opportunity to demonstrate that he can perform consistently against some of the country's strongest domestic players.

Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead West Zone

West Zone will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad in the 2026 Duleep Trophy. Shams Mulani has been named vice-captain.

The team will begin its campaign against North Zone on August 23 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

For Gohil, the tournament could be particularly important. A strong performance against quality opposition could help him attract greater attention from selectors ahead of the upcoming domestic season.

Updated West Zone squad for Duleep Trophy 2026

• Ruturaj Gaikwad (Captain)

• Shams Mulani (Vice-Captain)

• Shardul Thakur

• Mushir Khan

• Tushar Deshpande

• Tanush Kotian

• Siddharth Desai

• Atit Sheth

• Prithvi Shaw

• Shivalik Sharma

• Mukesh Choudhary

• Harvik Desai (Wicketkeeper)

• Jaymeet Patel

• Urvil Patel

• Jay Gohil

Sarfaraz's move into the Indian Test squad has unexpectedly opened the door for Gohil. Now, the Saurashtra batter will have the chance to turn that opportunity into a strong statement with his performances in the Duleep Trophy.