The Duleep Trophy has long been the setting for many famous turnarounds in a player's fortune - Sourav Ganguly's road back to the national team started with an emphatic century in 2005 and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's 200 in 1967, after resigning as India captain, had his critics imploring him to remain leader of the national side. It remains so this season with a hectic year of cricket ahead and an Indian team in some transition.

The tournament opener at the Chinnaswamy Stadium has several fringe players hoping for a similar upturn, chief among those is South Zone's swing bowler Sreesanth. For a few Test regulars it is an opportunity to gain match practice ahead of the New Zealand visit, but VVS Laxman, the South captain, stressed he was focused on winning the tournament and was not treating the match as a warm-up for New Zealand.

The opening match of Duleep Trophy between Central Zone vs South Zone will be played on 22nd January 2009 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.