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Tilak Varma once again showed his class with the bat as South Zone defeated North Zone by seven wickets to book their place in the 2026/27 Duleep Trophy final.
Chasing 181 on the final day of the semi-final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2, South Zone reached the target comfortably. Varma remained unbeaten on 51 off 79 balls and finished the job alongside Ravichandran Smaran, who made 32 not out.
The South Zone captain had already played a match-defining knock of 116 not out in the first innings. He returned in the second innings and produced another calm performance when his team needed him most.
Varma and Smaran put together an unbeaten 80-run partnership for the fourth wicket to take South Zone home without any further damage.
South Zone will now meet East Zone in the final, which begins on September 6 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. It will be the first time since the 1970/71 season that the two teams will face each other in a Duleep Trophy final.
Nidheesh finishes with five wickets
North Zone had hoped to add enough runs on the final morning to put South Zone under pressure. However, their innings did not last long.
MD Nidheesh made the difference with the ball, picking up the final three North Zone wickets. The pacer finished with 5/56 as North Zone were bowled out for 286 in their second innings.
It was another notable achievement for Nidheesh, who claimed his 10th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Bhui gives South a flying start
South Zone made a quick start in their chase, with Ricky Bhui taking the attack to the North Zone bowlers. The opener scored 42 and helped his team make early progress towards the target.
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North Zone, however, managed to create some pressure around the lunch break.
Gurnoor Brar ended Bhui’s stay at the crease before Abid Mushtaq brought North Zone further into the game. The left-arm spinner dismissed Shaik Rasheed and then removed Narayan Jagadeesan, who was stumped after scoring 43.
With South Zone reduced to 102/3, the match was briefly back in the balance.
That was when Varma took control.
Varma stays calm under pressure
The South Zone captain did not rush his innings. He played according to the situation, dealt with the spin threat and waited for the right opportunities to score.
Smaran, who was the leading run-scorer in the 2025/26 Ranji Trophy season, gave him solid support at the other end.
The pair slowly took the game away from North Zone before finishing the chase without losing another wicket.
South Zone, who finished runners-up last season, will now have another chance to lift the Duleep Trophy. They enter the final with Varma in excellent form and will face an East Zone side led by Ishan Kishan, who reached the title clash after knocking out defending champions Central Zone.
Brief Scores
North Zone 195 and 297 in 72.4 overs (Sanat Sangwan 76, Ayush Doseja 52, MD Nidheesh 5-56, Kavuri Saiteja 2-57) lost to South Zone 312 and 182-3 in 43.1 overs (Tilak Varma 51 not out, Narayan Jagadeesan 43; Abid Mushtaq 2-55, Gurnoor Brar 1-22) by seven wickets.