Central Zone Beat South Zone to Win Duleep Trophy 2025/26 Final

Central Zone lifted the 2025/26 Duleep Trophy after beating South Zone by six wickets in a tense final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru on Monday.

Chasing just 65 runs, Central Zone lost a few quick wickets, but opener Akshay Wadkar held his nerve with an unbeaten 19. Yash Rathod (13 not out) joined him to complete the chase, ensuring South Zone never had enough runs on the board to turn the game around.

South Zone’s bowlers tried to fight back, with Ankit Sharma and Gurjapneet Singh taking two wickets each. Sharma also dismissed Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar, raising brief hopes. But the target was too small, and Central Zone crossed the line in 20.3 overs.

The match had stretched into the fifth day thanks to a remarkable fightback from South Zone’s lower order. At one stage, Central Zone were set for an innings win after reducing South Zone to 222/6 before lunch on day four. That’s when Ankit Sharma and C Andre Siddarth staged a brilliant 192-run seventh-wicket stand.

Ankit was unlucky to miss out on a century, falling for 99, while Siddarth stayed unbeaten on 84. Their partnership delayed the inevitable and briefly kept South Zone in the contest. However, once Ankit fell, South Zone suffered a late collapse in the final session of day four, leaving Central Zone with a modest target.

Brief Scores:

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  South Zone: 149 & 426 in 121 overs (Ankit Sharma 99, Andre Siddarth 84 not out; Kumar Kartikeya Singh 4/110, Saransh Jain 3/130)

  
  


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  Central Zone: 511 & 66/4 in 20.3 overs (Akshay Wadkar 19*, Yash Rathod 13*; Ankit Sharma 2/24)
  Result: Central Zone won by 6 wickets.