Duleep Trophy 2025 Final: Central Zone on Brink of Victory After South Zone’s Strong Fightback
In an exciting Day 4 of the Duleep Trophy 2025 final in Bengaluru, South Zone put up a solid second innings total of 426, but it wasn’t enough to stop Central Zone from holding a commanding 64-run lead. This sets up a thrilling finish, with Central Zone needing just 65 runs to lift the trophy on the final day.
Kumar Kartikeya stole the show for Central Zone, grabbing four wickets to wrap up South Zone’s innings. Despite the pressure, South Zone extended the match into Day 5 thanks to a massive 192-run seventh-wicket stand between Ankit Sharma and Andre Siddarth C. Sharma looked set for a century, smashing 99 runs before falling to a big shot off Kartikeya. The lower order crumbled quickly after that, leaving South Zone all out.
Half-centuries from Andre Siddarth C (84*) and Smaran Ravichandran added real firepower to South Zone’s batting lineup, but they couldn’t bridge the gap. South Zone lost four wickets in the morning session alone, making it a tough chase.
Central Zone’s bowlers dominated the day. Besides Kartikeya’s 4/110, Saransh Jain chipped in with three wickets in the second innings—after his five-wicket haul in the first. Seamers Kuldeep Sen and Deepak Chahar each picked up one to tighten the screws.
Rewinding to Day 3, Central Zone’s Yash Rathod came agonizingly close to a double century, scoring 194 to power his team to 511 in the first innings. Rajat Patidar’s 101 also played a key role, while South Zone’s Gurjanpreet Singh took 4/124. By stumps on Day 3, South Zone were 129/2, trailing by 233 runs, with Smaran Ravichandran (37) and Ricky Bhui (26) holding firm.
On Day 4, Central Zone resumed at 384/5, with Rathod on 137 and Saransh Jain on 47*. The pair pushed on, with Jain reaching his fifty off 128 balls, including seven boundaries. This helped Central Zone cross 400 runs in their first innings.
Brief Scores:
Central Zone: 511 (Yash Rathod 194, Rajat Patidar 101, Gurjanpreet Singh 4/124)
South Zone: 149 and 426 (Ankit Sharma 99, Andre Siddarth C 84*; Kumar Kartikeya 4/110)
Cricket fans are in for a nail-biter on the last day—can Central Zone seal the Duleep Trophy 2025 win, or will South Zone pull off a miracle? Stay tuned for updates from the Bengaluru showdown.
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