Duleep Trophy 2025, Final: Rajat Patidar’s century puts Central Zone in commanding position

Central Zone skipper Rajat Patidar stole the spotlight on the second day of the Duleep Trophy 2025 final against South Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain displayed his trademark flair, smashing a fluent century that tilted the contest heavily in Central Zone’s favour.

Patidar has been in imperious form throughout this edition of the tournament. Having already scored a century in the quarter-final, he once again rose to the occasion with a commanding knock. His hundred came off just 112 deliveries, including 12 boundaries and two sixes. It was his 15th first-class century, a blend of controlled aggression and precise shot-making that left South Zone’s bowlers under constant pressure.

The Central Zone innings had begun steadily, courtesy of a half-century stand between Danish Malewar and Akshay Wadkar. Malewar departed after a well-made 53, paving the way for Patidar to join hands with Yash Rathod. The pair constructed a brilliant partnership for the fourth wicket, stitching together 167 runs from 201 balls. Rathod played the anchor’s role while Patidar took charge with attacking strokes.

BCCI Domestic@BCCIdomestic

Leading from the front 💪 Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar set the stage on fire in Bengaluru with a stroke-filled 101(115) 💥 Watch snippets of his knock 📽️ Scorecard ▶️ bcci.tv/domestic/dulee… #DuleepTrophy | #Final | @IDFCFIRSTBank

04:16 PM · Sep 12, 2025

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Patidar eventually dismissed by Gurjapneet Singh for 101 off 115, but by then he had already set the tone for the Central Zone. Rathod continued strongly and reached his own century (116 off 150), further solidifying his team’s grip on the final as the Central Zone’s total surged well past 300, with the lead nearing 200.

Patidar’s form in this Duleep Trophy has been nothing short of exceptional. With 369 runs in just four innings, he currently stands as the tournament’s highest run-scorer. His consistency has definitely reignited discussions about his inclusion in the Indian Test squad.

Patidar made his debut against England in 2024 and he managed 63 runs across three Tests and a single ODI appearance of 22 runs. Since then, he has been out of the national setup. However, his commanding performances in domestic cricket are making a strong case for his return.