NE Zone show grit, hold Central in Duleep Trophy draw

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 1, 2025

North East Zone’s batters staged a determined fightback to hold Central Zone to a draw in the Duleep Trophy quarterfinals, which concluded in Bengaluru on Sunday. Despite their resilience, Central advanced to the semifinals by virtue of a first-innings lead.

Central Zone piled up 532/4 declared in their first innings and followed up with 331/7 declared. In reply, NE Zone were bundled out for 185 before showing grit in the second innings, closing at 200/6.

Meghalaya’s Akash Kumar Choudhary impressed with the ball, finishing with four wickets (2/103 & 2/44) — the best figures among the NE Zone bowlers. He was the only Meghalayan to feature in the playing XI, while Arpit Bhatewara and Aryan Borah were part of the 15-member squad.

The Central side boasted big names, including India internationals Kuldeep Yadav and Deepak Chahar, along with IPL star Harsh Dubey.

Following the result, Manipur Cricket Association Honorary Secretary and NE Zone Convenor Leishangthem Ronel Singh, joined by MCA President Naba Bhattacharjee and Secretary Rayonald Kharkamni, hailed the performance as a “historic milestone” for North East cricket.

“Our boys not only competed against one of the strongest teams in the tournament but also displayed remarkable grit and resilience, playing till the final ball with a true do-or-die spirit,” Singh stated. “This result stands as one of the finest performances by the North East Zone in recent years and marks an important step forward in our cricketing journey.”

He further credited the efforts of the North East state associations in strengthening the game and stressed the importance of grassroots development, infrastructure and talent grooming for future success.