Bengaluru, September 2: In an impressive display, South Zone defeated North Zone by 7 wickets in the second semifinal of the Dilip Trophy. Chasing a target of 181 runs set by North Zone, South Zone achieved the goal comfortably, losing only 3 wickets in the process. Captain Tilak Varma showcased a remarkable performance with the bat.
South Zone started their innings strongly. Riki Bhui and N Jagadeesan formed a crucial partnership, adding 64 runs for the first wicket. Jagadeesan scored 43 runs with the help of 5 fours before being dismissed, while Riki Bhui contributed 42 runs before falling to Gurnoor Barar. Sheikh Rashid struggled at the crease, managing only a single run.
However, captain Tilak Varma and Samaran Ravichandran ensured no further setbacks for South Zone, putting together an unbeaten partnership of 80 runs for the fourth wicket to secure the victory. After scoring a century in the first innings, Tilak played a solid knock of 51 runs off 79 balls in the second innings, hitting 8 boundaries. Samaran supported him well, remaining not out at 32 runs from 42 balls, including 4 fours and a six.
In the first innings, North Zone was all out for just 175 runs. Kamran Iqbal was the top scorer for the team with 76 runs, while Vidwath Kaverappa from South Zone took 4 wickets. In response, South Zone scored 312 runs in their first innings, thanks to Tilak’s impressive 116 and Shreyas Gopal’s contribution of 87 runs, gaining a lead of 117 runs. Gurnoor Barar was the standout bowler for North Zone, claiming 4 wickets.
In their second innings, North Zone was bowled out for 297 runs. Sanat Sangwan played a notable innings, scoring 76 runs, while Ayush Doseja added 52 runs. MD Nidhish from South Zone excelled with the ball, taking 5 wickets for 56 runs. With this victory, South Zone has secured a place in the final of the Dilip Trophy, where they will face East Zone starting September 6.
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