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Key Points

Central Zone secured a hard-fought six-wicket victory over South Zone to claim the Duleep Trophy title. The match went into the fifth day thanks to a magnificent 192-run partnership between Ankit Sharma and Andre Siddarth. Despite some nervy moments during the chase of 65 runs, opener Akshay Wadkar remained composed to guide his team home. This victory marks another chapter in Central Zone's domestic cricket dominance.

Key Points: Central Zone Defeat South Zone by Six Wickets to Win Duleep Trophy

  • Ankit Sharma and Andre Siddarth's 192-run partnership revived South Zone's hopes
  • Central Zone's Kumar Kartikeya Singh took 4-110 in the second innings
  • Opener Akshay Wadkar guided the chase with an unbeaten 19
  • South Zone collapsed dramatically in the final half-hour of day four
2 min read

Duleep Trophy: Central Zone defeat South Zone by six wickets to seal title

Central Zone clinch the Duleep Trophy title with a six-wicket victory over South Zone in a thrilling final at the BCCI CoE Excellence Ground in Bengaluru.

"Akshay Wadkar remained unbeaten on 19 and maintained composure while wickets fell - Match Report"

Bengaluru, Sep 15

Central Zone faced some nervy moments before sealing a six-wicket victory in the final of the 2025/26 Duleep Trophy against South Zone on day five at the BCCI CoE Excellence Ground 1 on Monday.

In their chase of 65, opener Akshay Wadkar remained unbeaten on 19 and maintained composure while wickets fell on the other hand, but South Zone just did not have enough runs on the board to allow their bowlers a chance to defend the total.

Ankit Sharma and Gurjapneet Singh claimed two wickets apiece, with the former claiming the prized scalp of Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar.

In the end, it was a matter of when, not if, and Yash Rathod was the man to help Wadkar guide his team to victory.

The final going into day five was made possible due to a gritty seventh-wicket stand of 192 runs between Ankit Sharma and C Andre Siddarth. Initially, Central Zone were in a pole position to get an innings victory by reducing South Zone to 222/6 before lunch.

But Ankit and Siddarth delayed the inevitable and revived South Zone’s hopes of winning the final through a stunning rearguard act. After Ankit fell agonisingly short of a century after being dismissed for 99, a dramatic collapse in the final half hour of day four’s play meant Central Zone are now in a great position to win the trophy.

Brief Scores: South Zone 149 & 426 in 121 overs (Ankit Kumar 99, Andre Siddarth 84 not out; Kumar Kartikeya Singh 4-110, Saransh Jain 3-130) lost to Central Zone 511 & 66/4 in 20.3 overs (Akshay Wadkar 18 not out, Yash Rathod 13 not out; Ankit Sharma 2-24) by six wickets.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Akshay Wadkar showed great composure under pressure. These domestic tournaments are producing such quality players for Team India!
R
Rohit P
That 192-run partnership between Ankit and Siddarth was incredible! South Zone almost pulled off a miracle. Shows why we should never write off any team in cricket.
M
Michael C
The collapse in the final half hour on day four cost South Zone dearly. They had momentum but couldn't capitalize. Great tournament overall though!
S
Shreya B
Kumar Kartikeya's 4 wickets in the first innings set up the victory perfectly. Spin bowling continues to be our strength in domestic cricket.
D
David E
While it was an exciting match, the pitch seemed to favor bowlers too much. 149 all out in first innings? Maybe the curators should prepare more balanced pitches for finals.

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