South Zone emerged victorious in a thrilling encounter against East Zone, thanks to a brilliant knock by Mayank Agarwal. Chasing a target of 229 runs, Agarwal displayed excellent form and scored 84 runs off just 88 balls.
South Zone got off to a shaky start as they lost their first wicket in the 8th over when Rohan Kunnummal was dismissed by Akash Deep. However, Agarwal found a reliable partner in Sai Sudharsan, and together they stitched a crucial 100-run partnership.
In the 29th over, Agarwal fell victim to Avinav Choudhury’s bowling after scoring a well-deserved 84 runs. Sudharsan, too, couldn’t carry on for long and was dismissed after contributing 53 runs off 67 balls. Narayan Jagadeesan added 32 runs before being dismissed, while Arun Karthik departed quickly after scoring just 1 run.
However, Rohit Rayudu (24*) and Washington Sundar (8*) remained calm under pressure and guided South Zone to a remarkable five-wicket victory over East Zone.
Earlier in the match, East Zone had set a target of 229 runs. Virat Singh top-scored with 49 runs, while Subhranshu Senapati and Akash Deep contributed 44 runs each. However, the South Zone bowlers stepped up their game and bowled exceptionally well. V Kaushik and Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore claimed three wickets each, while Vidhawath Kaverappa picked up two scalps. Vyshak Vijay Kumar and Washington Sundar also chipped in with a wicket each.
In another encounter between Central Zone and North East Zone, Central Zone emerged victorious with ease. Shivam Chaudhary and Yash Dubey played crucial innings of 85* and 72 runs, respectively, to guide their team to a comfortable win.
Batting first, North East Zone could only manage to score a target of 164 runs before being all-out in 49 overs. Aditya Sarwate starred with the ball for Central Zone, taking three wickets. Yash Kothari and Saransh Jain also contributed with two wickets each.
In response, Central Zone got off to a solid start with Harvik Desai scoring 56 runs. Shivam Dube remained unbeaten on 83 runs, while Kathan Patel contributed 63 runs as Central Zone chased down the target of 260 runs in 48.5 overs.
Earlier, North Zone had set a challenging target of 259/6, thanks to fifties from Shubham Rohillam, Nitish Rana, and Himanshu Rana.
Overall, it was an exciting day of cricket in Puducherry, with South Zone, Central Zone, and West Zone registering victories over their respective opponents. Players like Mayank Agarwal, Shivam Chaudhary, and Yash Dubey showcased their skills and played crucial roles in guiding their teams to triumph.
The tournament continues to provide thrilling moments and promises more action-packed encounters in the coming days.
