Duleep Trophy 2025 Final: Rajat Patidar Leads Central Zone to Victory After IPL Triumph

Riding high on the momentum of an IPL title win with Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajat Patidar has now added another feather to his cap by leading Central Zone to a commanding victory in the Duleep Trophy 2025 final. Central Zone defeated South Zone by 6 wickets in a one-sided contest played at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground.

The final chase was modest, with Central Zone needing just 65 runs in their second innings, which they achieved with four wickets in hand. However, the real groundwork for the win was laid much earlier in the match—both with the ball and the bat.

The first innings saw South Zone crumble for just 149 runs, thanks to a devastating spell by Sarash Jain, who took 5 wickets, and Kumar Kartikeya, who added 4 wickets to his name. Central Zone responded with a mammoth total of 511 runs, seizing full control of the match. Yash Rathore was the standout performer with a sublime innings of 194 runs, while Rajat Patidar scored a captain’s knock of 101. Contributions came from all around, including Danish Malewar’s 53 and Sarash Jain’s all-round brilliance with a handy 69.

South Zone showed some fight in the second innings, posting 426 runs. Ankit Sharma narrowly missed out on a century with a fine 99, and Andre Siddharth added a crucial 84, but the lead wasn’t enough to truly challenge a dominant Central Zone side.

In the end, Central Zone chased down the target of 65, and with that, clinched the Duleep Trophy title.

Yash Rathore was deservedly named Player of the Match for his near-double century in the first innings, while Sarash Jain was declared Player of the Series, having contributed consistently throughout the tournament with both bat and ball. Jain took 16 wickets and scored 136 runs, proving to be a key all-round asset.

Captain Rajat Patidar also had a stellar tournament, amassing 382 runs in just 3 matches at an average of over 76 and a strike rate above 96, highlighting both consistency and intent. Yash Rathore, meanwhile, finished with 374 runs at an astonishing average of 124.66, while Danish Malewar added 352 runs at an average exceeding 70.

From leading RCB to its maiden IPL title to guiding Central Zone to domestic glory, 2025 has so far been a dream year for Rajat Patidar. And with young talents like Rathore, Jain, and Malewar stepping up, the future of Indian domestic cricket looks promising.