Central Zone Secures Victory in Duleep Trophy Qualifier 1 with Saurabh Kumar's

In a thrilling finale to the Duleep Trophy Qualifier 1, the fourth day witnessed an intense battle between Central Zone (CZ) and East Zone (EZ). CZ began the day needing four wickets to secure their spot in the semi-finals. Riyan Parag and Murasingh resumed the innings for EZ with the team at 69/6.

Today's Scorecard:

• Riyan Parag: 14 runs (31 balls), lbw by Saurabh Kumar

• Murasingh: 12* runs (30 balls)

• Shahbaz Nadeem: 14 runs (16 balls), bowled by Saurabh Kumar

• Akash Deep: 24 runs (14 balls), bowled by Saurabh Kumar

• Ishan Porel: 0 runs (1 ball), caught by Kunal Chandela, bowled by Saurabh Kumar

However, CZ's Saurabh Kumar had other plans. He struck early in the morning session, dismissing Parag for 14 runs with a well-executed lbw delivery. Shahbaz Nadeem tried to hold the fort but fell prey to Kumar's accuracy, contributing 14 runs to the EZ total. Kumar continued his magnificent spell, claiming the crucial wicket of Akash Deep, who played a fiery innings of 24 runs, including three sixes.

With the EZ innings on the line, Kumar struck once again, dismissing Ishan Porel for a golden duck, caught by Kunal Chandela. As the final wicket fell, EZ was bowled out for 129, setting CZ a target of victory.

Saurabh Kumar emerged as the hero of the match, picking up an impressive eight wickets in the second innings with an economy rate of 3.49. His exceptional spin bowling played a significant role in CZ's triumph on a spin-friendly pitch that saw a total of 26 wickets falling to spinners out of the 40 in the match.

With this remarkable victory, CZ has earned their place in the semi-finals of the Duleep Trophy. They will now face West Zone in a crucial encounter starting on 5th July.



Congratulations to Central Zone for a well-deserved victory. Stay tuned for more updates and action as the Duleep Trophy continues to showcase thrilling cricket encounters