India, Aug. 22 -- The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed strong displeasure over the omission of top international players like KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj from the South Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy. In response, the board has officially written to all state associations, urging them to prioritise the selection of centrally contracted players for the domestic season-opener.

The issue arose after South Zone named their squad on July 27 without including several big names such as Rahul, Siraj, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna and Sai Sudharsan. The Duleep Trophy, which kicks off on August 28 in Bengaluru, is widely seen as a crucial platform for domestic and national-level talent. South Zone's decisi...