East Zone bowls out Central Zone for 266 on Duleep Trophy semifinal opener
Abhijit Sarkar and Mukesh Kumar took three wickets each as East Zone bowled out Central Zone for 266 on day one of the Duleep Trophy semifinal.
East Zone dismissed Central Zone for 266 on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy 2026 semifinal. Abhijit Sarkar and Mukesh Kumar each claimed three wickets, while Mohammed Shami took two. Rinku Singh top-scored for Central Zone with 60 runs.
The three seamers combined to restrict Central Zone on a pitch offering assistance to pace. Sarkar and Mukesh shared six wickets between them, and Shami's two strikes further tightened the pressure. The bowlers kept Central Zone in check throughout the day.
East Zone and North Zone had earlier advanced to the semifinals. The match continues on day two with East Zone seeking further wickets before their own innings begins.
CricHubb Take
The combination of Shami with two domestic bowlers suggests India may test this depth option in upcoming red-ball fixtures where seam movement matters more than raw pace.