Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar continued his sublime touch in the ongoing Duleep Trophy, as he led his team to a dominant position against South Zone in the final.
Heading into the big game, Patidar was coming off three consecutive fifty-plus scores, including a century in the quarter-final against North East Zone at a brisk scoring rate.
Carrying the high confidence, he came in to bat at 74/2 and took on the South Zone bowlers and scored 101(115) with the help of 12 fours and two sixes.
During his 167(205) run partnership with centurion Yash Rathod, he also took Central Zone well past South Zone's first innings total (149).
Add The Sporting News as a preferred news source
At the end of Day 2, the 32-year-old has helped his team to a 235-run lead, as the score reads 384/5.
How has Rajat Patidar performed in the Duleep Trophy 2025?
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper carried his confidence from their IPL winning campaign and returned to the field in style, as he stages himself for a comeback into the Indian Test middle-order.
So far, with an innings left to be played, Patidar has scored 369 runs at an average of 92.25 and a strike rate of over 100.
READ MORE: Have India and Pakistan ever played in an Asia Cup final?
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Avg/SR | Highest | 50/100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4 | 369 | 92.25/100.54 | 125 | 2/2 |
Rajat Patidar's performances in Duleep Trophy 2025 listed by matches:
| Match | Opposition | Scores | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-Final | Northeast Zone | 125 & 66 | BCCI COE Ground B |
| Semi-Final | West Zone | 77 | BCCI COE Ground B |
| Final | South Zone | 101 | BCCI COE Ground A |
As things stand, he has the most runs in the tournament alongside most fifty+ scores, hundreds, fours and sixes.
On the virtue of their first innings lead in the final, Central Zone will lift the Duleep Trophy 2025, should the game end in a draw.
With consistent performances in the competition, the Indian batter has made a point to be selected for the upcoming Irani Cup match against Vidarbha and possibly for the Test series against West Indies.
After making his Test debut in 2024 against England, he played three Tests for India and only managed 63 runs in 6 innings, which led to him being dropped from the side after the fourth Test in Ranchi.