Duleep Trophy Final 2025: Central Zone All Out for 511, Lead South Zone by 362 Runs at Innings Break

A blockbuster batting display saw Yash Rathod narrowly miss out on a double century, dismissed for 194, while Captain Rajat Patidar contributed a valuable 101 as Central Zone powered past the 500-run mark.

Yash Rathod Shines but Misses Double Ton

Resuming Day 3 on 384/5, Central Zone added 127 runs before being bowled out for 511. Rathod anchored the innings with a monumental 194, falling agonizingly short of a double century. His disciplined strokeplay and resilience against the South Zone bowling attack dominated the session until a mistimed drive led to his dismissal. Rathod’s innings featured a blend of crisp drives and deft placements that frustrated every bowler on the field.

Patidar and Company Propel Central Zone

Alongside Rathod’s heroics, Rajat Patidar led from the front with a classy 101, showcasing Captaincy skills both with bat and strategy. Opener Danish Malewar supported the charge with a solid 53, while contributions from Akshay Wadkar (22), Shubham Sharma (6), and Upendra Yadav (5) helped extend the total. The all-round performance ensured Central Zone built a commanding target that South Zone must chase in the second innings.

South Zone’s First Innings Collapse

Earlier in the match at the Centre of Excellence Ground, Bengaluru, South Zone was bundled out for a modest 149 in their first innings after losing the toss and being asked to bat first. No batsman managed a significant score, with Tanmay Agarwal top-scoring at 31, followed by Salman Nizar (24), Ankit Sharma (20), Ricky Bhui (15), and MD Nidhesh (12). The Central Zone pace duo of Saransh Jain and Kumar Kartikeya wreaked havoc, claiming 5 and 4 wickets respectively to trigger the collapse.

Playing XIs and Semifinal Recap

South Zone lined up with an experienced eleven led by former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin, featuring Agarwal, Andre Siddharth, Gurjapneet Singh, Vasuki Koushik, Mohit Kale, Nidhesh, Bhui, Nizar, Ravichandran Smaran, and Ankit Sharma. Central Zone countered with Patidar, Rathod, Malewar, Wadkar, Sharma, Yadav, Jain, Aditya Thakare, Deepak Chahar, Kartikeya, and Kuldeep Sen.

Both teams advanced to the final after drawn semifinals—South Zone against North Zone and Central Zone versus West Zone. Heading into Day 4, Central Zone holds a commanding advantage and will look to enforce the follow-on to press for an outright victory in the Duleep Trophy Final 2025.