The Duleep Trophy semi-final is being played between the West Zone and Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground B, Bengaluru. Having started from September 4, 2025, with the final day being scheduled for 8th September, Day 1 ended on a high note for West Zone as they were able to score 438 runs at a loss of 10 wickets. All thanks to the star batter, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored 184 runs off 206 balls, leading the team from the front.
As the Duleep Trophy semi-final is being played right now, Central Zone is batting brilliantly, crossing 40 runs in 14 overs.
[REPORT] Match Summary
Duleep Trophy 2025 has reached the semi-finals stage, where the second semi-final is being played between West Zone and Central Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground B, Bengaluru, from September 4 to September 8.
Having won the toss, Central Zone decided to bat first, and it did not turn out to be favorable, as the West Zone had already 438 runs coming into day 2 of the game.
Talking a bit about the background of both teams, Central Zone advanced after their first-innings lead over North East Zone. The big performers like Danish Malewar (203 off 222), Rajat Patidar (125 off 96), Aryan Juyal & Yash Rathod (half-centuries), helped the team to get into the semi-finals.
SUGGESTED READ: Azharuddeen Leads South Zone with Ankit & Rasheed in Squad
On the other hand, the West Zone got direct entry to the tournament as they were the 2023-24 champions, having big names like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shreyas Iyer.
Here is the head-to-head result between the two teams:
Team | Matches Played | Wins | No Result |
West Zone | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Central Zone | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Day 1 Highlights
Batting first, the West Zone had a big challenge ahead as they were facing the defending champions of the Duleep Trophy. However, the team’s middle order performed decently after their openers, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harvik Desai, failed to score runs. The middle order batters, Aarya Desai and Ruturaj Gaikwad, led from the front, scoring 39 off 84 balls and 184 off 206 balls. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s stellar innings from the very beginning of the innings helped his team get decent runs.
He reached 94 by Tea and later finished the session 3 being unbeaten on 182 off 203 balls. Following the departure of Ruturaj Gaikwad in 184 off 206 balls, the skipper Shardul Thakur led from the front as he scored 64 runs off 98 balls. Besides him, the other key performers in the team were Shreyas Iyer, who scored 25 runs off 28 balls, and Tanush Kotian, with 65 runs off 121 balls.
At the end of Stumps, West Zone had a score of 387 runs at a loss of 6 wickets.
Here is an X post highlighting Gaikwad’s century:
Duleep Trophy 2025 semifinals
🔸 Jagadeesan’s hundred puts South in control vs North
🔸 Gaikwad’s century rescues West vs Central✍️ @AshwinAchal | 📸 @photomurali1
READ ▶️ https://t.co/19GK7KdVf0 | #DuleepTrophy pic.twitter.com/EeR6lxzMLM
— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) September 4, 2025
Day 2 Highlights
Coming into the day 2 of the Duleep Trophy semi-finals, Central Zone had no choice but to get the quick wickets of West Zone, and they were successful in doing that as well. Central Zone’s bowler Saransh Jain picked up crucial wickets, bringing his wicket count to 3, while bowlers like Harsh Dubey and Khaleel Ahmed took 3 wickets and 2 wickets respectively.
West Zone got all out in 108 overs, which gave Central Zone to put some effort in the batting department to minimize the trail. The opener batters were batting brilliantly until the opener Aayush Pandey was dismissed by Nagwaswalla at 40 runs. They are currently at 73 runs with the loss of one wicket.
Key Performances and Turning Points
- Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed 184 runs off 206 balls, rescuing West Zone from early trouble and setting up a commanding total on the board.
- Saransh Jain’s 3/121 helped Central Zone get the momentum back into the game and broke crucial partnerships.
- The unbeaten 40-run plus opening stand by Pandey and Malewar gave Central Zone a positive start, but Nagwaswalla’s spell broke the partnership immediately.
KNOW MORE ABOUT: DULEEP TROPHY 2025
Scorecard Snippets
Day 1 Scorecard
Batter | R | B | SR | Out |
Yashasvi Jaiswal | 43 | 101 | 133.33 | b Khaleel Ahmed |
Thakur (c) | 64 | 98 | 65.31 | run out (Aayush Pandey) |
Tushar Deshpande | 18 | 18 | 100 | not out |
Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
Khaleel Ahmed | 15 | 3 | 82 | 2 | 5.5 |
Harsh Dubey | 34 | 1 | 118 | 3 | 3.5 |
Saransh Jain | 28 | 2 | 121 | 3 | 4.3 |
D Chahar | 14 | 2 | 52 | 1 | 3.7 |
[PREDICTION] What to Expect on Day 2?
With the defending champions batting patiently at the beginning of the first session, Central Zone is expected to bat throughout the day as they have the combination of experience and young players in the squad. However, the bowling lineup of the West Zone should not be denied as well, since they have talented bowlers like Shardul Thakur, Arzan, and Tushar Deshpande who can pick early wickets.
Where to Watch Duleep Trophy Semi-Finals?
Unfortunately, there is no official broadcast for the Duleep Trophy semi-finals, but you can follow the scorecards and updates on the BCCI website or app.
Amit Mishra’s Take
From the writer’s perspective, the Duleep Trophy semi-finals between West Zone and South Zone are getting interesting as we are on day 2 of the game. With still days remaining in the game, it will be interesting to see how the key players like Shreyas Iyer, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Deepak Chahar will turn the game around on their side.
I am very excited for the remainder of the days in the second Duleep Trophy semi-finals.
YOU MIGHT READ: Duleep Trophy Semi Final South vs North Match Report
