The semi-finals of India's premier domestic red-ball tournament - the Duleep Trophy are underway at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The two semi-finals are being played between the South Zone and North Zone, and the West Zone and Central Zone.
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The South and West Zone teams secured direct qualification into the semifinals ahead of the tournament.
In contrast, the North and Central Zone teams advanced to this stage following their dominant performances in the quarterfinals, where they drew their games with a first-innings lead to secure a spot ahead.
The Duleep Trophy 2025 semi-finals commence at the BCCI's CoE
As the semi-finals got underway, several big Indian players from sides are missing out due to injuries or international commitments, while a few big names have joined in as well.
Ahead of the game, South Zone's star batter Tilak Varma was ruled out as he had to travel for the Asia Cup, while Sai Kishore missed out due to a finger injury. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit also miss the game for the North Zone, as they are off to the UAE for the Asia Cup.
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The West Zone, on the other hand, has seen a return of a few of the big names, including Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer. The Shardul Thakur-led side promises to be one of the strongest sides with a lot of experience.
Brief Scores
At Stumps on Day 1
West Zone vs Central Zone
West Zone - 363/6 (87 overs), Ruturaj Gaikwad - 184, Tanush Kotian - 65*, Aarya Desai - 39, Shreyas Iyer - 25, Khaleel Ahmed - 2/70
South Zone vs North Zone
South Zone - 297/3 (81 overs), Tanmay Agarwal - 43, N Jagadeesan - 148*, Devdutt Padikkal - 57, Nishant Sidhu - 2/59, Anshul Kamboj - 1/47
(Last updated at 5:30 p.m. IST)
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer lose wicket to Khaleel Ahmed
One of India's most promising and consistent red-ball opening batters, Yashasvi Jaiswal, has seen a disappointing return to domestic cricket. Being put into bat early on Day 1, the West Zone opener was dismissed by Khaleel Ahmed in the very first over, after scoring just 4 runs.
All eyes were also on Shreyas Iyer's return in the red-ball format after being excluded from India's squad for the England tour and the Asia Cup. Iyer, however, failed to make it big as he was cleaned up by Khaleel Ahmed at a score of 25.
Ruturaj Gaikwad shines with eight first-class century
Ruturaj Gaikwad, batting in the middle-order for the West Zone, started the domestic season with a stunning century off 131 balls. This follows his century in Tamil Nadu's Buchi Babu Invitational Tournament last month.
Meanwhile, the South Zone has gotten off to a terrific start at the end of the first session. Being put into the bat, their openers Tanmay Agarwal and N Jagadeesan ensured that they batted out the difficult conditions early on in the day.
N Jagadeesan smashed a terrific century in 184 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal scored a half-century in just 64 balls.
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