The Central Zone will meet South Zone in the final of the Duleep Trophy 2025, starting September 11 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru. Rajat Patidar's team qualified for the final after securing a first-innings advantage against West Zone in the semi-final match. The game had its share of turns, with Shardul Thakur's West Zone having their way in the initial stages. West Zone batted first and accumulated 438 runs, with Saransh Jain and Harsh Dubey contributing three wickets apiece. But their actual test was at the crease, where both shone in the lower middle order. Dubey scored 75 whereas Jain didn't get out on 63 as Central Zone achieved a huge 600 and was leading by 162 runs in the first innings. The opener of West Zone, Yashasvi Jaiswal, battled well with a quick 64 from 70 balls. But the absence of partnerships at the other end spoiled their chances. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had come so close to scoring a double hundred in the first innings himself, was sent packing cheaply by Dubey, while others like Shreyas Iyer and Tanush Kotian were of no match. Also Read | Rajeev Shukla reveals culprit behind boos against Hardik Pandya Saransh Jain again became the focus of attention, as he produced a game-changing five-wicket haul to pull the batting down. West Zone could muster only a narrow lead of 54 runs, and with Shardul Thakur's fall, the captains decided to call for a handshake, confirming Central Zone's place in the final. Jain's remarkable all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match honor for his 63 runs and eight wickets. In the other semi-final, South Zone made it to the final after a first-innings lead over North Zone, with Narayan Jagadeesan's aggressive batting turning out to be the deciding factor. The final will be a reprise of 2014, when Central Zone won. This time, Patidar's team wants to repeat history, while the Southerners seek redemption.