The final of the Duleep Trophy 2025–26 between South Zone (SZ) and Central Zone (CZ) at Bengaluru's CoE ground reinstated the zonal format that existed in the past. In an exciting match, Central Zone won their 7th championship, breaking a 10-year drought in the tournament. Central Zone's Historic Win in 2025–26 In pursuit of a modest target of 65 runs on the final day, Central Zone braved early hiccups as they had lost four wickets before clinching victory in the morning session. This was their first Duleep Trophy victory since the 2014–15 season. The platform was established in the first innings, where CZ amassed a comprehensive 511 runs. In response, South Zone folded for a mere 149 on what was deemed to be a batting-friendly wicket. That early innings collapse proved too expensive for SZ, even as they attempted to come back fighting in the latter stages. Madhya Pradesh all-rounder Saransh Jain was among the top performers. He was awarded Player of the Series after finishing as the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 16 wickets and having two half-centuries with the bat. His brilliance with both bat and ball was central to Central Zone's campaign. In the final, Yash Rathod received the Player of the Match award for his vital performance that kept Central Zone in front during the whole time. South Zone coach L. Balaji said that poor decision-making in the first innings came at a cost: "They will learn from this," he said, referring to the inexperience of the young batting unit. The 2025-26 version once again demonstrated how the Duleep Trophy is a stepping stone for national selection, with a number of young players making compelling arguments. Also Read | Watch: DJ Plays Jalebi Baby Instead of Pakistan Anthem in Asia Cup Full List of Duleep Trophy Winners (1961-62 to 2025-26) The Duleep Trophy started in 1961–62, and since then, North Zone and West Zone have dominated with 18 and 19 titles respectively. With the recent win by Central Zone, they have seven titles. Season Winners Runner-ups 1961–62 West Zone South Zone 1962–63 West Zone South Zone 1963–64 West Zone & South Zone (shared) – 1964–65 West Zone Central Zone 1965–66 South Zone Central Zone 1966–67 South Zone West Zone 1967–68 South Zone West Zone 1968–69 West Zone South Zone 1969–70 West Zone North Zone 1970–71 South Zone East Zone 1971–72 Central Zone West Zone 1972–73 West Zone Central Zone 1973–74 North Zone Central Zone 1974–75 South Zone West Zone 1975–76 South Zone North Zone 1976–77 West Zone North Zone 1977–78 West Zone North Zone 1978–79 North Zone West Zone 1979–80 North Zone West Zone 1980–81 West Zone East Zone 1981–82 West Zone East Zone 1982–83 North Zone South Zone 1983–84 North Zone West Zone 1984–85 South Zone North Zone 1985–86 West Zone South Zone 1986–87 South Zone West Zone 1987–88 North Zone West Zone 1988–89 North Zone & West Zone (shared) – 1989–90 South Zone Central Zone 1990–91 North Zone West Zone 1991–92 North Zone West Zone 1992–93 North Zone Central Zone 1993–94 North Zone West Zone 1994–95 North Zone South Zone 1995–96 South Zone Central Zone 1996–97 Central Zone South Zone 1997–98 Central Zone & West Zone (shared) – 1998–99 Central Zone West Zone 1999–2000 North Zone West Zone 2000–01 North Zone Central Zone 2001–02 West Zone North Zone 2002–03 Elite C Plate Group B 2003–04 North Zone East Zone 2004–05 Central Zone North Zone 2005–06 West Zone East Zone 2006–07 North Zone Sri Lanka A 2007–08 North Zone West Zone 2008–09 West Zone South Zone 2009–10 West Zone South Zone 2010–11 South Zone North Zone 2011–12 East Zone Central Zone 2012–13 East Zone Central Zone 2013–14 North Zone & South Zone (shared) – 2014–15 Central Zone South Zone 2016–17 India Blue India Red 2017–18 India Red India Blue 2018–19 India Blue India Red 2019–20 India Red India Green 2022–23 West Zone South Zone 2023 South Zone West Zone 2024–25 India A India C 2025–26 Central Zone South Zone The return of the zonal format has brought fresh excitement and given players a bigger stage to showcase their skills in front of selectors.