East Zone secures semifinal spot, set to meet Central Zone on August 30

The Dalip Trophy quarter‑final 1 concluded with East Zone earning a decisive 210‑run margin over North East Zone, guaranteeing a place in semifinal 1. The match, held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru, saw East Zone post 467 runs in their first innings, powered by Shahbaz Ahmad’s unbeaten 167 and Sudip Kumar’s brisk 146.

Key partnerships—Sudip and Kumar Kushagr’s 92 runs, Shahbaz with Sudip for 150, and Shahbaz with Anukul Roy for 103—kept the scoreboard ticking. The side’s batting depth was evident as each top order contributed, with Anukul adding 37 runs.

North East Zone’s batting collapsed at 111 in the first innings, despite a brief 25‑run resistance by captain Rongsen Jonathan and Ferozim Joshi. Their follow‑on effort yielded just 146, with Ferozim top‑scoring at 39.

East Zone’s bowlers were equally effective, with Anukul Roy taking five wickets and Vaibhav Suryavanshi chipping in with two. The comprehensive performance ensures East Zone will clash with Central Zone when the semifinals kick off on August 30.

Both teams will now turn their focus to the upcoming stages, with East Zone aiming to maintain momentum and Central Zone preparing to challenge the high‑scoring side.