Central Zone Clinches Duleep Trophy With Six-Wicket Win Over South

Central Zone overcame early jitters to defeat South Zone by six wickets on Monday, clinching the Duleep Trophy for the seventh time after an 11-year drought. Chasing a modest target of 65 on a deteriorating fifth-day pitch at the BCCI Centre of Excellence grounds, Central reached 66 for four in 20.3 overs. Akshay Wadkar (19 not out) and Yash Rathod (13 not out) guided the team to victory, marking a triumphant end to the domestic cricket tournament featuring India's zonal teams.

The match saw South Zone put up a resilient second innings total of 426, but their bowlers tested Central's top order in the chase. Left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma dismissed opener Danish Malewar (5) and captain Rajat Patidar, while pacer Gurjapneet Singh claimed Shubham Sharma and Saransh Jain, the player of the series. Despite these setbacks, Rathod, named player of the match for his first-innings century, and Wadkar ensured no further losses, securing the win.

Central captain Patidar, fresh from leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to IPL glory earlier this year, praised his team's character. "Every captain likes winning trophies. Our players showed a lot of character across the tournament," he said in the post-match presentation. He highlighted the decision to bat first on a dry wicket and commended Malewar and Rathod for their consistent batting. South skipper Mohammed Azharuddeen acknowledged his team's fightback, noting the second-innings resilience despite batting errors against Central's spinners.

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The victory positions the Central Zone strongly as the domestic season transitions to the Ranji Trophy starting October 15. Azharuddeen expressed optimism, stating the final appearance would motivate the South Zone moving forward. The Duleep Trophy, a key preparatory event for India's Test cricketers, underscores the depth of talent in zonal competitions.

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