Bcci coe excellence

BCCI CoE Excellence: Central Zone need just 65 runs to lift the crown in the 2025/26 Duleep Trophy after dismissing South Zone for 426 in their second innings on Day Four of the final at Ground 1 of the BCCI CoE Excellence here on Sunday.

The final going into Day Five was made possible due to a gritty seventh-wicket partnership of 192 runs between Ankit Sharma and C. Andre Siddarth. Initially, the Central Zone were in a pole position to get an innings victory by reducing the South Zone to 222/6 before lunch, and stood at a lead of 140 runs.

But Ankit and Siddarth delayed the inevitable and revived South Zone’s hopes of winning the final through a stunning rearguard act. After Ankit fell agonizingly short of a century after being dismissed for 99, a dramatic collapse in the final half hour of day four’s play meant Central Zone are now in a great position to win the trophy.