North Zone – News Analysis India

Shubman Gill’s Duleep Trophy Absence Explained: The Reason Behind His Withdrawal

News Analysis India — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Shubman Gill, recently appointed as India’s Test skipper and T20 vice-captain, was notably absent from the Duleep Trophy 2025 match against East Zone. Despite being named captain for the tournament, Gill’s absence led to Ankit Kumar taking over leadership duties. Initially, the reason for his withdrawal was unclear; however, it has been revealed that he was sidelined due to a bout of flu, which kept him confined to his home in Chandigarh for several days. Following medical advice, Gill was ruled out of the quarterfinal to prioritize rest and recovery. His absence has proven to be a setback for North Zone, who were relying heavily on his form and experience in the longer format of the game. Now fully recovered, Shubman Gill has resumed light training and fitness work at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. He is expected to travel to Dubai in the coming days in preparation for the Asia Cup 2025 and is likely to be among the first group of players to arrive.

Ayush Badoni’s Double Century Propels North Zone to Duleep Trophy 2025 Semifinals

News Analysis India — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In the Duleep Trophy 2025, North Zone batsman Ayush Badoni delivered a stunning performance, scoring a magnificent double century that secured his team’s place in the semifinals. North Zone advanced based on their first-innings lead in the quarterfinal match against East Zone.

In the second innings, Badoni played an outstanding knock, remaining unbeaten with 204 runs off 223 balls, including 13 boundaries and 3 sixes. Captain Ankit Kumar and Yash Dhul also contributed with centuries.

Ankit Kumar Steps Up as Captain, Scores Century in Duleep Trophy

News Analysis India — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

With Shubman Gill, the newly appointed captain of the Indian Test team, focusing on the Asia Cup, Ankit Kumar has seized the opportunity to showcase his skills. Gill, also named the vice-captain for the Asia Cup, had to withdraw from the Duleep Trophy due to fitness concerns. Kumar, who replaced Gill as the North Zone captain, responded with a remarkable performance, scoring a brilliant century in the second innings of the Duleep Trophy match.

Duleep Trophy 2025: Schedule, Venues, and How to Watch

News Analysis India — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Duleep Trophy 2025 is currently underway, capturing attention during a busy period for Indian cricket. While the national team prepares for the Asia Cup 2025 and a series against West Indies, this prestigious domestic tournament is taking place simultaneously. Initial matches feature North Zone against East Zone and Central Zone against NorthEast Zone, setting the stage for an exciting competition.

The Duleep Trophy 2025 is scheduled to commence on August 28 and will conclude on September 11.

The matches of the Duleep Trophy 2025 will be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

The Duleep Trophy 2025 will be played in a straight knockout format. North Zone will compete against East Zone, while Central Zone will face NorthEast Zone in the quarterfinals. South Zone and West Zone have secured direct entry to the semi-finals.

Live streaming of the Duleep Trophy 2025 will be available on the JioHotstar app and website.

The Duleep Trophy 2025 will not be broadcast live on television.

Shubman Gill’s Decision Signals a Shift, Warns Sunil Gavaskar

News Analysis India — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Shubman Gill, after a stellar performance in the 5-match Test series against England, where he was the highest run-scorer, has made a significant decision. This decision, praised by former player Sunil Gavaskar, involves prioritizing domestic cricket. Gavaskar highlighted Gill’s choice to captain the North Zone team in the Duleep Trophy 2025. He views this as a positive sign for other Indian cricketers, urging them to learn from Gill’s commitment to the sport. Gill’s dedication is especially noteworthy given the demanding schedule, which included a 6-week Test series, followed by the decision to play in the Duleep Trophy rather than take a break. The article also mentions Gill’s impressive performance in the Test series, where he scored 754 runs, making him the second-highest run-scorer in a single Test series for India, behind only Sunil Gavaskar’s 774 runs in 1971 against the West Indies. Gill’s performance earned him the Player of the Series award. The North Zone squad is also listed, including Shubman Gill as captain.

Shubman Gill Appointed Captain of North Zone for Duleep Trophy 2025

News Analysis India — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Following a successful Test captaincy debut in England, Shubman Gill has been named captain of the North Zone team for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025. The tournament is scheduled to begin on August 28th in Bangalore. Gill impressed with both his batting and leadership during the recent England tour, where the Indian team drew the five-match series 2-2. He was also the highest run-scorer in the series. This appointment marks another significant responsibility for the young cricketer. Gill previously captained India A for one match in the Duleep Trophy.

11 Sixes, Only 1 Four… The Player RCB Didn’t Give a Chance to, Scored a Century in So Many Balls

News Analysis India — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In the final of the 54th All India FCI Inter Zonal Cricket Tournament 2025 played on August 5, 2025, at the GVS Club Ground in Salem, Tamil Nadu, North Zone put up a stunning performance, defeating West Zone by 37 runs. Swastik Chhikara was the hero of North Zone’s victory in this match. This is the same Swastik Chhikara who was a part of the RCB team in IPL 2025 but did not get a chance to play a single match. However, he made his team the champion by playing a stormy innings in this match.

Swastik Chhikara scored a stormy century

West Zone won the toss in this match and decided to field, which proved to be completely wrong. North Zone scored 197 runs in 20 overs after batting first. In this match, Swastik Chhikara drew everyone’s attention with his brilliant batting. Opening the innings, Swastik Chhikara played a stormy unbeaten innings of 114 runs, in which he faced only 68 balls. The special thing was that his innings included only 1 four and 11 brilliant sixes, due to which his strike rate was 167.6.

Swastik Chhikara, on the strength of his performance, brought the team to a strong position in the first innings itself. His contribution was the biggest in North Zone’s innings, and he returned unbeaten, due to which the team’s score reached 197 runs after losing 2 wickets. Apart from Swastik, Nitin Saini also played a useful innings of 55 runs. He hit 7 fours in 37 balls and his strike rate was 148.6. Both the players also shared a century partnership for the first wicket.

Showed brilliance in bowling as well

Swastik Chhikara showed brilliance in bowling after batting as well. He bowled 4 overs in this match and took 2 wickets. However, he also conceded 50 runs during this time. Despite this, West Zone’s team was all out after scoring 160 runs in 18.3 overs.