Abhijit Sarkar, Mukesh Kumar claim three wickets each as East Zone bowl out Central Zone for 266

Abhijit Sarkar and Mukesh Kumar claimed three wickets each as East Zone bowled out Central Zone for 266 on day one of the Duleep Trophy 2026 semifinal. Rinku Singh top-scored for Central Zone with 60, while Mohammed Shami also chipped in with two wickets.

East Zone's bowlers dominated proceedings after Ishan Kishan elected to bowl first. The seamers maintained pressure throughout the opening session and restricted Central Zone's scoring rate.

The strong bowling performance gives East Zone the upper hand heading into day two. Central Zone will need early wickets with the new ball to stay in the match.