South Zone has won its second national title in a month, having recently won the Duleep Trophy final against the East Zone.
South Zone’s dominance continued as they won the Deodhar Trophy for the seventh time on Thursday thanks to a dominant 45-run victory over East Zone in the final. After Rohan Kunnummal, the South Zone’s opener, smashed a spectacular century to get things started for his team (a 75-ball 107 with four sixes and 11 fours), the South Zone was unstoppable and amassed 328 for eight in the summit match while batting first. The East Zone hitters’ top order collapsed to reach 75 for four after 16 overs, and they were left facing a mountain to climb as a result of the South Zone’s potent bowling lineup.
Riyan Parag and Kumar Kushagra once again delivered with a 105-run stand for the sixth wicket, but East Zone’s high expectations were unmet. This was not the first time they had done so in the Deodhar Trophy.
East Zone were knocked out for 283 in 46.1 overs while needing to win by chasing 329.
The East Zone’s dreams were dashed as their great all-rounder Parag came agonisingly five runs short of scoring his third century of the match.
After faltering throughout the chase, East Zone’s hopes of defeating South Zone were revived by Parag’s subsequent quickfire knock of 95 off 65 balls with eight fours and five sixes.
With the chasing team needing another 109 runs to win from 12 overs, Washington Sundar struck the game-changing blow when he trapped Parag in front of the wickets in the 38th over.
As Kushagra assumed control, he hit Vijaykumar Vyshak twice for fours and Sundar twice for sixes, reviving some of the remaining East Zone combat.
Although Kushagra was caught by Rohit Rayudu for a 58-ball 68 (6x4s, 3×6), Tamil Nadu and India all-rounder Sundar had the last laugh as he finished off East Zone in the 42nd over.
Vasuki Koushik dismissed Abhimanyu Easwaran (1), Virat Singh (6), and Utkarsh Singh at the beginning of their chase, leaving East Zone at 14 for three and in trouble.
The South Zone’s opening duo ripped into the East Zone bowling attack right away, therefore Mayank Agarwal earlier in the first half correctly predicted that South Zone should bat first.
As his younger partner, Keralan Kunnummal, went off the rails with the bat, Agarwal (63 from 83 balls, 4x4s), sat in the background and observed.
The right-handed opener gave his side total control by smashing his first century of the match after earlier scores of 70 and 87 were left unbeaten.
Before being split up in the 25th over, Kunnummal and Agarwal had amassed 181 runs, but South Zone had already established a solid foundation.
No other South Zone batter really made an impact in the remaining innings, notwithstanding Narayan Jagadeesan’s careful 54 off 60 balls.
This is the South Zone’s second national championship in the Duleep Trophy, after defeating the East Zone recently in the championship game.
