Top performers from Duleep Trophy 2025-26 quarter-finals: Auqib Nabi and Ayush Badoni star for North Zone.
The first couple of the quarter-final games of the Duleep Trophy 2025-26 took place at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru. In the first fixture, North Zone, under Ankit Kumar’s leadership, faced Riyan Parag-led East Zone. On the other hand, the Central Zone, led by Rajat Patidar, locked horns with the North East Zone, under Rongsen Jonathan’s captaincy.
North Zone took a lead of 175 runs in the first innings after they posted 405 runs on the board. They continued the same dominance with the bat, posting 658/4 in the second innings. Due to the first-innings lead, they have qualified for the next stage and will take on South Zone in the first semi-final.
Meanwhile, Central Zone’s 532 runs proved to be a mountain to climb for the North-East Zone. They again crossed the 330-run mark in the second innings and progressed into the second semifinal. Central Zone will be up against West Zone on September 04.
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Ayush Badoni and Auqib Nabi impress for North Zone
The focus, during the clash, was on Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who were playing their last competitive game before the Asia Cup 2025. But it was Jammu and Kashmir’s fast bowler, Auqib Nabi, who impressed everyone with a five-wicket haul. Among those, he earned four wickets in four successive deliveries.
Among pacers, Nabi finished the Ranji Trophy 2024/25 season as the leading wicket-taker. The right-arm pacer pocketed 44 wickets in eight encounters at an average of below 14 and a strike rate of 30.47. After disturbing the stumps of Virat Singh late on the second day, he trapped Manishi before the stumps.
Mukhtar Hussain faced the hat-trick ball and never looked settled to see off the sharp in-swinging delivery. On the first ball of the next over, Nabi had Suraj Jaiswal caught behind. In this process, he became just the fifth India bowler to claim four wickets in four balls in first-class cricket. Nabi trapped Mohammed Shami in front to celebrate his ninth five-wicket haul in the 30th FC clash.
The second day wasn’t only about Nabi the fast bowler. In the morning, he smashed 44 runs in 33 balls, including four fours and two sixes. He added 66 runs for the eighth wicket with Kanhaiya Wadhawan, to shoulder them over the 400-run mark.
In the batting department, Delhi’s Ayush Badoni impressed with a fine 63-run knock in the first innings. This came in 60 balls at a strike rate of over 100 with seven boundaries. On the opening day, batting wasn’t an easy job, especially in the first two seasons. But Badoni batted with aggression.
He continued the dominance in the third innings of the game with an unbeaten double century. The right-handed batter stayed undefeated on 204 runs in 223 balls at a strike rate of 91, shouldering on 13 fours and three sixes. He came into the middle with 294 runs on the board and posted a 150-run stand in less than 40 overs. It was followed by another 157-run stand in less than 28 overs for the sixth wicket.
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Rajat Patidar and Danish Malewar shine for Central Zone in run-fest
Danish Malewar finished the last season of Ranji Trophy 2024/25 with 783 runs in 15 innings at an average of 52.20. He has already crossed the 1000-run mark in FC cricket in just 10 games. The 21-year-old Vidarbha batter showed his strength in playing on the front foot in the Duleep Trophy 2025.
On the opening day of the domestic season, Malewar clubbed 198 runs. He completed his maiden double century in FC cricket the next morning. A slap through covers for a four progressed him to 203* before he decided to retire out.
“I did well last year. I think I fit well at No. 3. (Karun Nair’s return to Karnataka ahead of the 2025/26 season) does mean more responsibility, and as a top-order batter, I need to lay a solid base for those coming in to bat after me. It’s my job to see off the new ball, and to bat for as long as possible.” Malewar expressed on ESPNcricinfo.
His Vidarbha team-mate, Yash Rathod, clubbed a fine unbeaten knock of 87 runs at a strike rate of over 80.56. His firing knock was essential for the Central Zone to cross the 500-run mark sweetly.
Their captain of the side, Rajat Patidar, played an exceptional knock. In the first innings, the IPL-winning captain for RCB smashed 125 runs in just 96 balls. His brilliant knock was decorated with 21 boundaries and three sixes at a strike rate of 130.21.
In the second innings, he repeated the same dominance with another 66 runs. That knock came in just 72 balls at a strike rate of 91.67 with six boundaries and three boundaries. Patidar was dropped from the national Test side after he got just 63 runs in six innings at home earlier last year. But with a few spots under scanner, he will aim to continue the current form and make a comeback into the squad.
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