Duleep Trophy 2026: North Zone beat West to reach semi-final vs South

North Zone advanced to the Duleep Trophy 2026 semi-final after defeating West Zone by 52 runs in their quarter-final clash at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru, on August 26. The match was wrapped up in just 6.3 overs on Day 4, completing a turnaround that had taken shape during a dramatic collapse on the third evening.

Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder Abid Mushtaq was the standout performer, finishing with nine wickets across the match. He was at his most decisive on the final morning, accounting for two of the three wickets North needed to seal the result.

West Zone, captained by Ruturaj Gaikwad, resumed Day 4 requiring 67 more runs with three wickets remaining. Mushtaq struck with the second delivery of the morning, a ball that kept low and crashed into Tanush Kotian's middle stump before he could adjust. Tushar Deshpande offered brief resistance across 17 balls, then moved down the track against Mushtaq and found an edge that carried to Abdul Samad at slip, the angle from around the wicket making the delivery awkward to control. Three balls later, Urvil Patel was struck in front for 25 attempting to drive Nishant Sindhu, and West's chase was over without a run added to their overnight score.

West had looked comfortable at 211 for 4 in their second innings, with Musheer Khan and Gaikwad having constructed a century stand. The partnership's end triggered a sharp reversal: Gaikwad was run out for 66, and when Musheer fell nine short of a century on 96, North's spinners pressed home the advantage to reduce West to a position where 67 runs were still needed with only three wickets in hand at stumps.

North's lead had been built on contributions from several players. Anshul Kamboj scored 60 in the first innings, rescuing his side from 161 for 7 and helping them post 251. He then removed Mumbai batters Shams Mulani and Kotian in quick succession with the old ball, giving North a 64-run first-innings advantage. Ayush Badoni added further substance in the second innings, recording his second half-century of the match to put North in a commanding position.

Arshdeep Singh made a significant impact on his return to four-day cricket after a gap of nearly twelve months. He finished with four wickets in total, three of them in the first innings, with his ability to move the ball late creating consistent problems for West's top order.

North Zone, who entered the quarter-final as underdogs against a West side containing several India-capped players, will now face South Zone in the first semifinal. South are led by Tilak Varma, and the match is scheduled to begin August 30 at the same Bengaluru venue.

The second semi-final on August 30 will pit East Zone against defending champions Central Zone. North's 52-run win over a well-credentialled West outfit stands as one of the more notable results of the tournament so far.