South Zone stormed into the Duleep Trophy 2026 final with an emphatic seven-wicket win over North Zone in the semifinal clash in Bengaluru. Set a target of 179 runs on the final day, South Zone cruised home in 43.1 overs, comfortably sealing their spot in the summit clash.
South Zone rout North Zone to cruise into Duleep Trophy final
South Zone will now take on East Zone in the title clash on September 6.
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Tilak Varma's brilliant fifty in South Zone's winning cause
Leading from the front, captain Tilak Varma anchored the chase to perfection with a slick, unbeaten 51 off 79 balls—a classy knock punctuated by eight boundaries. Partnering him to put the finishing touches on the win was Smaran Ravichandran, who provided fluent acceleration with a 42-ball 32, featuring four hits to the fence and a maximum.
The run chase of 181 was initially built around Narayan Jagadeesan, who crafted a patient 43 off 83 deliveries with four boundaries. However, spin bowler Abid Mushtaq eventually broke his resistance, luring him out of his crease for Kanhaiya Wadhawan to whip off the bails and complete the stumping.
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Earlier in the match, North Zone won the toss and elected to bat, but were bundled out for a meager 195 in their first innings. South Zone capitalized effectively, posting 312 in response thanks to a masterclass century from captain Tilak Varma (116) and a vital 87 from Shreyas Gopal, taking a 117-run lead.
North Zone put up a braver fight in their second effort, compiling 297 behind solid half-centuries from Sanat Sangwan (76) and Ayush Doseja (52). However, fast bowler MD Nidheesh broke the back of their lineup with a superb five-wicket haul (5/56), ensuring the chase remained within comfortable reach.
Meanwhile, the Duleep Trophy 2026 final will be held in MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai. The title clash will be contested over five full days, with the trophy decided on first-innings lead in the event of a draw.