Duleep Trophy

East Zone end 13-year drought, beat South Zone to win Duleep Trophy 2026

East Zone translated their complete dominance over the last 12 sessions into a Duleep Trophy victory after 13 years, overwhelming South Zone on the basis of a massive first innings lead on the fifth and final day of the final here on Thursday. East Zone sauntered to 388 for seven in their second innings, swelling the overall lead to 760 runs even as the match ended in a draw. Mohammad Kounian Quraishi joined the list of century-makers in this match with an unbeaten 116, his maiden three-figure mark in two-match-old first-class career. Quraishi, who added 150 runs with Anukul Roy (64) for the seventh wicket stand, reached the milestone in 179 balls with a brace off left-arm pacer CV Milind. But way before the teams shook hands at 2.10 pm signalling a draw, East had wrested the trophy after posting a mammoth 708 runs in their first innings, which helped them construct a 372-run lead. East's second innings was a mere continuation of their show of power in the match. Starting the day

Sangwan inspires North fightback but South remain favourites to reach final

His exclusion from the Duleep Trophy quarter-final created a flutter but North Zone's stodgy left-handed opener Sanat Sangwan put the controversies to rest with a gutsy 76 even though South Zone looked poised to win the Duleep Trophy semi-final by the end of third day's play here Tuesday. On the third morning, skipper Tilak Varma (116 not out) added 10 more runs to his overnight score and added a precious 42 runs for the final wicket with Kavuri Saiteja (12) to reach a decent first innings score of 312 and a handy lead of 117 runs. In reply, North Zone finished the day at 256 for 7, largely due to Sangwan's 148-ball effort that had eight boundaries and a 104-run second wicket stand with Delhi teammate Ayush Doseja, who helped himself to his second half-century in the tournament. The lead, however, is of only 139 runs as of now and to make a match of it, North will need to set a target of at least 200 runs and then expect to take 10 South Zone wickets in roughly two sessions. For ..

Duleep Trophy: East Zone defeat Central Zone by 4 wickets to enter final

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's cameo sat well with fiery spells by Bengal pacers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, powering East Zone to the Duleep Trophy final with a four-wicket win over defending champions Central Zone on the third day of the semifinal here on Tuesday. The 2012-13 season winners will face either South Zone or North Zone in the final at Chepauk, starting on September 6. Shami and Mukesh shared seven wickets among them to bundle out Central for 158 in their second innings, and then scaled down the 159-run target despite a mini slump in the middle. On a pitch that offered increasing turn to spinners, it was vital for East to make a solid start to hunt down the target of 159. Sooryavanshi (40, 43b) played an innings of two faces - his first 15 runs came off 30 balls, a stark contrast to his 42-ball fifty in the first innings, and contained just a six off pacer Aryan Pandey. But the remaining 25 runs came in 13 balls which had another six and three boundaries. However on th

Central Zone advance to Duleep Trophy final despite Jaiswal's valiant 50

Yashasvi Jaiswal's sparkling fifty remained a mere personal landmark as Central Zone advanced to the Duleep Trophy final by virtue of their first innings lead in the drawn match against West Zone here on Sunday. Central Zone will now face South Zone in the final which is scheduled from September 11. Jaiswal (64) peppered the boundary lines often in his 70-ball innings that helped West reach 216 for eight in their second innings, but the 162-run innings lead that they conceded earlier sealed their fate. Central, overnight 556 for eight, were bowled out for 600 but not before Saransh Jain (63 not out) compiled a well-deserved fifty. West skipper Shadul Thakur (6) was dismissed at the stroke of tea, with Tanush Kotian (40) batting at the other end, and the both teams agreed to shake hands at that point, signalling a draw. While not seeing his side in the title clash might come as a disappointment for Jaiswal, he would be happy to spend some good time in the middle for the first time

South Zone seal spot in Duleep Trophy 2025 final after draw with North Zone

N Jagadeesan struck an unbeaten 52 to extend South Zone's dominance as they advanced to the final of the Duleep Trophy after taking a 175-run first-innings lead against North Zone here on Sunday. South Zone will take on Central Zone in the summit clash of the tournament here from September 11. South Zone reached 95 for one when the game was called off with Jagadeesan, who had struck a brilliant 197 in the first innings, reaching 52 not out off 69 balls with six fours to carry on with his red-hot form. At the other end was Devdutt Padikkal on 16 not out. North Zone, under pressure after their opponents piled up 536 in the first innings, had resumed the play on Sunday at 278 for five with 258 runs in arrears. Shubham Khajuria, who struck a gritty century on the third day of the contest to reach 128, failed to add to his overnight score as he was cleaned up by Vasuki Koushik for the first wicket on the final day's second over. Khajuria's innings ended on 128 off 252 balls with 20 fo

South Zone to be led by Azharuddeen in Duleep Trophy semifinal clash

Kerala batter Mohammed Azharuddeen on Sunday replaced Tilak Varma as the South Zone captain for the Duleep Trophy semifinal against North Zone, starting at the BCCI Centre of Excellence on September 4. Tilak Varma, who was originally named the South skipper, will not be playing the Duleep Trophy after he was named in the India squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. Azharuddeen was the vice-captain of the side, and now that role has been handed to Tamil Nadu's N Jagadeesan. Tamil Nadu left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore too will not be playing in the semifinal for South Zone as he is still recuperating from a hand injury that forced him to skip the recent Buchi Babu Trophy. Ankit Sharma of Puducherry and Shaikh Rasheed of Andhra have been added to the South squad for the Duleep Trophy last four match. Both the players were already named in the standbys. Ankit is a left-arm spinner who has taken 168 wickets from 68 First-Class matches, while Rasheed is a 20-year-old top-order batter who has m

Duleep Trophy 2025 Q/F: Batters help North, Central Zone dominate Day 1

Danish Malewar's unbeaten 198 was the biggest highlight of Day 1 action in the quarterfinals of the Duleep Trophy 2025

Duleep Trophy 2025 preview: Squads, schedule and streaming details

Duleep Trophy 2025 returns to zonal format from Aug 28-Sep 15. Check squads, full match list, streaming details and players to watch including Shami, Iyer, Jaiswal.

Indian cricketers can't skip domestic games: BCCI's 'non-negotiable' order

Cricket board sends letter after South Zone excludes some leading names from Duleep Trophy

Shami joins East Zone for Duleep Trophy 2025; Ishan Kishan named captain

The 2025-26 season marks the return of the traditional zonal format for the Duleep Trophy after a one-year experiment with India A, B, C and D teams

Tilak Varma to captain South Zone in the 2025 Edition of Duleep Trophy

India batter N Tilak Varma was on Sunday named as the South Zone skipper in the season-opening Duleep Trophy to be held here next month. The 22-year-old Tilak, who has played four ODIs and 25 T20Is, was in fine touch for Hampshire recently, smashing 100, 56, 47 and 112 in four innings for the English county side. Kerala players were rewarded for their excellent run till the Ranji Trophy final as four players from the state found place in the 16-member squad. They were: Mohammed Azharuddeen, who will be Tilak's deputy, MD Nidheesh, Basil NP and Salman Nizar. Tamil Nadu batter Narayan Jagadeesan, who has flown to England as a cover for the injured Rishabh Pant, senior left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore and middle-order batter Devdutt Padikkal too are in the squad. India and Karnataka pacer Vyshak Vijaykumar will lead the South Zone bowling attack. Meanwhile, prolific batter R Smaran, who was Karnataka's highest run-getter in last season's Ranji Trophy with 516 runs, has been included

Duleep Trophy: Anuj Rawat's with unbeaten 122 leads India A fightback

Shashwat Rawat led India A's dramatic recovery with an unbeaten 122 to steer them to 224 for seven on day one of the Duleep Trophy tie against India C here on Thursday. The left-handed batter, who plays for Baroda in domestic cricket, got support only from Shams Mulani (44 off 76) after India A were reduced to 36 for five in the 20th over. Last match's centurion Pratham Singh, captain Mayank Agarwal, Tilak Varma and Riyan Parag all fell in single digits. Pacer Anshul Kamboj, who took eight wickets in an innings last week, was again the standout bowler for India C. It was a knock to remember for Rawat who collected 15 fours in his unbeaten 235-ball effort. The elegant southpaw played an array of delightful shots through his epic innings including straight drives, cover drives and even reverse sweeps off the spinners. He shared a much-needed 87-run stand with bowling all-rounder Mulani who once again came to the team's rescue with the bat following a match-winning effort in the previ

Duleep Trophy: Iyer fails but top order put India D ahead against India B

The under-pressure Shreyas Iyer's dismal run continued but strong performances from the other frontline batters, including Sanju Samson, guided India D to 306 for five on the opening day of their Duleep Trophy match against India B here on Thursday. Iyer, aiming to make a comeback to India's Test squad, fell for a second successive duck in the ongoing tournament. However, Devdutt Padikkal (50), Srikar Bharat (52), RickyBhui (56) and Samson (89 not out) smashed half-centuries as India D batters produced a solid show. At stumps, Samson and Saransh Jain (26) were at the crease. For India B, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (3/60) was the standout bowler, claiming three wickets. Mukesh Kumar (1/37) and Navdeep Saini (1/51) picked up a wicket each after India B won the toss and elected to field first at the Rural Development Trust Stadium. Opening the innings, Padikkal and Bharat put together a solid 105-run partnership. However, Saini provided the breakthrough by removing Padikkal, followed b

Duleep Trophy: Anshul Kamoj help India C secure top spot with nine points

Pacer Anshul Kamboj ended up with an eight-wicket haul as India C took the lead in the Duleep Trophy standings on the basis of the first innings lead against India B here. Resuming day four at 309 for seven, India B were dismissed for 332 in 108 overs with Kamboj cleaning up the tail to add to his overnight five wickets. India B skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran remained unbeaten on 157 off 286 balls. India C, who amassed 525 in the first innings, reached 128 for four in their second innings and that was the moment where players to decided to shake hands. India C got three points for the first innings lead, pushing them to top with nine points in two games while India B got a solitary point for a draw. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (62) stuck his second fifty of the match while Rajat Patidar was dismissed in the 40s for the second consecutive time in the game. It was only the third time in Duleep Trophy history that a pacer had taken eight wickets or more in an innings. Kamboj was deservingly

Duleep Trophy: Bhui's century in vain as India A beat India D by 186 runs

Ricky Bhui delayed the inevitable with a stubborn hundred, but spinners Shams Mulani and Tanush Kotian eventually brought India D to their knees as India A walked away with a 186-run win in the Duleep Trophy match here on Sunday. Bhui, starting from overnight 44, made 113 (195b, 14x4, 3x6) but India D, overnight 62, were bundled out for 301, chasing 488. The victory enabled India A to stay in contention for the title with 6 points. But they will have to get a favourable result against table-toppers India C (9 points) in their next match here from September 19. India D, out of title race after two successive defeats, will be up against second-placed India B, who have 7 points. On a pitch that gave copious assistance to the spinners, the 'D' batters needed to show tremendous application to hang around. But apart from Bhui none really showed the stomach for a fight. Bhui's second-wicket stand with Yash Dubey (37) was worth 100 runs but Dubey got run out, and in his next over Mulani .

Ishan Kishan makes claim for India return with hundred in Duleep Trophy

The Indian batter looks fresh and ready after a long break from international cricket during which he was subject to much speculation on the internet

Duleep Trophy 2024: Ishan Kishan smashes century in first-class return

Ishan Kishan marked his First-Class return after well over a year with a wonderful hundred, the backbone of India C's day one total of 357 for five against India B in the Duleep Trophy match here on Thursday. Kishan's 111 (126b, 14x4, 3x6) lifted India C from a slightly wobbly 97 two after they lost Rajat Patidar (40) and B Sai Sudharsan (43) in quick succession. The innings also underlined the fitness of the 26-year-old, who was originally in India D squad, as he missed the first round of Duleep Trophy with a groin injury. Sanju Samson was drafted in as Kishan's replacement in India D squad, necessitating the redrafting of the former into India C. Cutting back to the match, India C's situation was compounded by skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's return to the hut with an ankle niggle after facing just two balls. However, any major concern over Gaikwad's fitness was allayed when he came out to bat after Kishan's dismissal, making an unbeaten 46 (50b, 7x4, 2x6) to guard the crease along wit

Duleep Trophy 2024: Shams Mulani led India A fightback with unbeaten 88

Bowling all-rounder Shams Mulani stood on the cusp of his maiden first-class hundred after leading India A's remarkable recovery to steer them to 288 for eight on day one of their Duleep Trophy fixture against India D here on Thursday. Mulani (88 not out off 174) forged a 91-run stand with fellow Mumbai teammate Tanush Kotian (53 off 80) to save the day for India A who were reduced to 93 for five inside the first session. Kumar Kushagra (28 off 66) too provided much-needed support to Mulani, who collected eight fours and three sixes in his unbeaten effort. The southpaw would be aiming to surpass his highest score of 97 on Friday. Mulani, whose main role in the side is of a spinner, effectively used his feet against the slow bowlers especially against fellow left-armer Saurabh Kumar. Against the quicker bowlers, his play square of the wicket stood out. He brought his half-century with a six down the ground off Saurabh, soon after smashing pacer Arshdeep Singh for a maximum over deep

Duleep Trophy 2024: Rinku, Iyer and Washington under spotlight for round 2

Fringe players like Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube along with some seasoned name who have been ignored by the national selectors will be aiming to attract their attention when round two of Duleep Trophy begins here on Thursday. The star power in the season-opening red-ball event will be reduced significantly for round two with India squad players released for a national camp ahead of the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai from September 19. Sarfaraz Khan is the lone India squad member who will be featuring in the domestic competition. In the absence of national regulars, the focus will shift on the likes of Rinku, who was surprisingly not picked for the first round despite having an impressive first-class record. The spirited southpaw has also done well for India in T20 cricket. Shubman Gill joining the national team has led to Mayank Agarwal captaining the India A unit. Having played his last Test in March 2022, Agarwal needs a bagful of runs to get back into national ...

Rinku to feature in Duleep Trophy round 2, replaces Pant in India B

Majority of the players picked in the India squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, including Rishabh Pant, K L Rahul and Shubman Gill, were on Tuesday rested for the second round of Duleep Trophy beginning here on September 12. The others picked in the national squad on Sunday include Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel, who all have been exempted from the second round. Left-arm pacer Yash Dayal and Sarfaraz Khan, who too are part of India's 16-man squad for the opening Test, have not been released from their Duleep Trophy duties indicating they won't be part of the playing eleven against Bangladesh in the game to be played in Chennai. "The selectors have named Pratham Singh (Railways) as a replacement for Gill, Akshay Wadkar (Vidarbha CA) as a replacement for KL Rahul and SK Rasheed (Andhra CA) as a replacement for Jurel," said the BCCI in a statement. "Left-arm spinner Shams Mulani will replace Kuldeep in the squad whereas Aaqib Khan (UPC