Rathod's top score of 194 and Jain's great performance helped Central win the Duleep Trophy

Rathod's top score of 194 and Jain's great performance helped Central win the Duleep Trophy

Duleep Trophy Final: Central Zone won the Duleep Trophy after 11 years. Central eventually went past the target at 66 for four in 20.3 overs.

Central Zone lifted the Duleep Trophy for the first time in nearly 11 years, thanks to standout performances from Yash Rathod, Saransh Jain, and Rajat Patidar. Rathod scored a career-best 194, Jain contributed 69 runs and took 8 wickets in the match, while Patidar smashed a quick 101. On the final morning, Central chased down a small target of 65 runs, losing four wickets along the way. Akshay Wadkar and Rathod stayed calm and guided their team to a six-wicket win over South Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

South Zone Fights Back on Final Morning

South Zone bowlers tried to make things difficult on the last day. Left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma got good turn and bounce, while fast bowler Gurjapneet Singh found movement in the air. Both bowlers picked up two wickets each, but the target was too small to defend.

Danish Malewar started with a couple of runs but was soon dismissed by Ankit, who bowled a turning delivery that Malewar edged behind. Shubham Sharma hit two lucky boundaries off Gurjapneet but got out the very next ball, edging one to the keeper.

Saransh Jain, promoted up the order, hit a boundary on the first ball but was out the next, caught at short leg after an inside edge. Central were suddenly 24 for 3.

Wadkar and Rathod Seal the Win

Despite the early wickets, Central continued to attack. Wadkar hit Ankit through midwicket and square drove Gurjapneet, while Patidar played a few stylish shots once the pitch dried up. He survived a stumping chance and hit two beautiful drives before getting out with just 16 runs needed.

Wadkar brought the target down to single digits, and Rathod fittingly hit the winning runs with a punch through the covers off V Koushik. The match ended in just 20.3 overs on the final day.

This was Central Zone’s seventh Duleep Trophy title (including one shared), and their first since the 2014–15 season, when they also beat South Zone.