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Duleep Trophy final: Rajat Patidar struck a decisive century to put Central Zone in a dominant position against South Zone in the summit clash, continuing his fine domestic form after leading RCB to their maiden IPL title.

Rajat Patidar's stunning diving catch highlighted Central Zone's dominant performance on day one of the Duleep Trophy final. They bowled South Zone out for a mere 149, with Saransh Jain claiming 5 for 49 and Kumar Kartikeya taking 4. Central Zone openers then reached 50 without loss, trailing by just 99 runs.

Rajat Patidar and Shubham Sharma's brilliant knocks put Central Zone in commanding position in the Duleep Trophy semi final. Their key partnerships have brought the team close to a final berth, while North Zone faces a tough challenge to recover.

Shreyas Iyer will captain the 15-member India A squad for two matches against Australia A in Lucknow, starting September 16, announced BCCI on Saturday. Despite strong Duleep Trophy performances, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rajat Patidar were surprisingly omitted. KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj are slated to join the squad for the second game, replacing two players from the initial lineup.

Central Zone dominated the first day of the Duleep Trophy quarter-final, reaching 432 for 2 against North East Zone. Danish Malewar remained unbeaten on 198, while Rajat Patidar contributed a rapid 125. Their impressive partnership helped Central Zone build a strong foundation, with Malewar nearing a double century.

Aakash Chopra has ignited controversy by questioning RCB's influence on Rajat Patidar's captaincy in domestic cricket. Mo Bobat revealed he encouraged Patidar to seek leadership roles at the state level, leading to his appointment as Madhya Pradesh captain. Chopra found it questionable for IPL franchises to 'nudge' players into domestic captaincy roles, sparking debate about the ethics of such influence.