Domestic cricket has always been the heartbeat of Indian cricket, shaping careers and preparing players for the next big step. The stage is now set for one of its multi-zonal and most prestigious events, the Duleep Trophy 2025 final. South Zone and Central Zone go head-to-head in the title clash at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru, with everything to play for. This is also the curtain raiser for the current Indian domestic season as well. Both teams booked their spot in the summit showdown on the back of commanding batting performances that earned them crucial first-innings leads over North Zone and West Zone, respectively. Defending champions South Zone looked a class apart, outplaying North Zone in every department. Wicketkeeper-opener Narayan Jagadeesan stole the show with a marathon 197, followed by a fluent half-century in the second innings. He found steady support across the line-up, with Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, and Tanay Thyagarajan, all chipping in with valuable fifties to keep the momentum firmly in their corner. However, with Narayan Jagadeesan and Devdutt Padikkal both released from the squad for the final, this will have a potential dent to their batting lineup. Both of them have joined the India A squad for the unofficial Test against Australia A. With the ball, the pace duo of MD Nidheesh and Gurjapneet Singh stepped up brilliantly for South, sharing seven wickets between them in the only innings they bowled. However, South’s batting firepower will face a stiff challenge from Central’s well-rounded bowling attack. The three-pronged pace unit, now featuring Deepak Chahar and Kuldeep Sen, brings both swing and aggression, while the spin department remains just as potent. Kartikeya Kumar Singh joins off-spinner Saransh Jain to form a strong spin pairing, with Jain already among the top wicket-takers this season. On the batting front, Central Zone boasts heavy run-scorers in the top five. Danish Malewar stands second with 294 runs at an average of 98, including a century and a fifty in three innings. Skipper Rajat Patidar and Shubham Sharma, both from Madhya Pradesh, follow closely with 268 and 252 runs, respectively, and will be crucial to Central’s title hopes. Ahead of the final, the Central Zone has revamped their squad with four changes. Vidarbha pacer Nachiket Bhute comes in for his teammate Yash Thakur, Kartikeya Kumar Singh replaces Harsh Dubey, Madhya Pradesh pacer Kuldeep Sen takes the place of Khaleel Ahmed, and Rajasthan spinner Ajay Singh Kukna steps in for Manav Suthar. The new-look side brings fresh energy and variety as they aim to topple the defending champions in the summit clash. With talent and the hunger to win equally distributed between both sides, it is shaping up to be a fabulous finale in Bengaluru.
Domestic cricket has always been the heartbeat of Indian cricket, shaping careers and preparing players for the next big step. The stage is now set for one of its multi-zonal and most prestigious events, the Duleep Trophy 2025 final. South Zone and Central Zone go head-to-head in the title clash at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru, with everything to play for. This is also the curtain raiser for the current Indian domestic season as well. Both teams booked their spot in the summit showdown on the back of commanding batting performances that earned them crucial first-innings leads over North Zone and West Zone, respectively. Defending champions South Zone looked a class apart, outplaying North Zone in every department. Wicketkeeper-opener Narayan Jagadeesan stole the show with a marathon 197, followed by a fluent half-century in the second innings. He found steady support across the line-up, with Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, and Tanay Thyagarajan, all chipping in with valuable fifties to keep the momentum firmly in their corner. However, with Narayan Jagadeesan and Devdutt Padikkal both released from the squad for the final, this will have a potential dent to their batting lineup. Both of them have joined the India A squad for the unofficial Test against Australia A. With the ball, the pace duo of MD Nidheesh and Gurjapneet Singh stepped up brilliantly for South, sharing seven wickets between them in the only innings they bowled. However, South’s batting firepower will face a stiff challenge from Central’s well-rounded bowling attack. The three-pronged pace unit, now featuring Deepak Chahar and Kuldeep Sen, brings both swing and aggression, while the spin department remains just as potent. Kartikeya Kumar Singh joins off-spinner Saransh Jain to form a strong spin pairing, with Jain already among the top wicket-takers this season. On the batting front, Central Zone boasts heavy run-scorers in the top five. Danish Malewar stands second with 294 runs at an average of 98, including a century and a fifty in three innings. Skipper Rajat Patidar and Shubham Sharma, both from Madhya Pradesh, follow closely with 268 and 252 runs, respectively, and will be crucial to Central’s title hopes. Ahead of the final, the Central Zone has revamped their squad with four changes. Vidarbha pacer Nachiket Bhute comes in for his teammate Yash Thakur, Kartikeya Kumar Singh replaces Harsh Dubey, Madhya Pradesh pacer Kuldeep Sen takes the place of Khaleel Ahmed, and Rajasthan spinner Ajay Singh Kukna steps in for Manav Suthar. The new-look side brings fresh energy and variety as they aim to topple the defending champions in the summit clash. With talent and the hunger to win equally distributed between both sides, it is shaping up to be a fabulous finale in Bengaluru.