The second quarter-final match of the Duleep Trophy 2026 between North Zone and West Zone at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru has reached a thrilling juncture. As the third day's play came to a close, the fixture hung in a tense balance. Heading into the fourth and final day, West Zone requires 67 runs to secure victory, while North Zone needs just 3 wickets to wrap up the match. During West Zone's second innings, Musheer Khan played a stellar knock but missed out on a well-deserved century by a mere 4 runs.
A Shaky Start for West Zone in the Run Chase
North Zone had set a challenging target of 287 runs for West Zone to win. Chasing this total, West Zone endured a dismal start to their innings. Harvik Desai was dismissed early with just 4 runs on the board, and soon after, Prithvi Shaw returned to the pavilion having scored 28 runs. Shivalik Sharma then steadied the ship by putting together a 56-run partnership with Musheer Khan. This was followed by a crucial 111-run stand between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Musheer, which momentarily placed their team in a commanding position.
Gaikwad and Musheer Post Half-Centuries
The dismissals of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Musheer Khan triggered a wobble in the West Zone batting lineup. Team captain Gaikwad played a gritty knock of 66 runs from 70 balls in the second innings before being run out by Kanhaiya Vadhwan. Following him, Musheer Khan came desperately close to a century but was dismissed for 96 runs, with Nishant Sindhu claiming his wicket. At the close of the day's play, Urvil Patel was at the crease batting on 17 runs. It remains to be seen whether West Zone can comfortably score the remaining 67 runs on the final day to clinch the win.
Ayush Badoni Shines as North Zone Fails to Post Big Totals
Analyzing North Zone's batting performance, Ayush Badoni stood out by scoring a half-century in both innings. He contributed 51 runs in the first innings and followed it up with another 50-run knock in the second innings. None of the other batsmen managed to build a substantial innings, preventing their team from putting up a massive total on the board in either essay. North Zone was bowled out for 251 in their first innings and managed 222 runs in their second outing. Meanwhile, East Zone has already secured its spot in the semi-finals after defeating North East Zone.
