Team India players in Duleep Trophy 2026 Semi-finals (Source: AFP & X.com)
The Duleep Trophy 2026 semi-finals produced several eye-catching performances from players who are part of India's current or recent national-team setup.
East Zone defeated defending champions Central Zone by four wickets to book their place in the final. At the same time, South Zone registered a seven-wicket victory over North Zone to set up a title clash against East Zone, starting on September 6.
That being said, in this article, let’s take a look at how the Indian team players performed in the Duleep Trophy 2026 semi-finals.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stars for East Zone vs Central Zone in Duleep Trophy 2026 Semi-Final 1
Indian prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was arguably the biggest talking point of the first semi-final. The 15-year-old was handed the East Zone captaincy briefly after Ishan Kishan was unavailable and made history by becoming the youngest player to score a half-century in Duleep Trophy history.
With the bat, Sooryavanshi smashed 92 off 81 balls in East Zone's first innings. His knock included seven fours and seven sixes, and he formed a crucial 161-run partnership with Abhimanyu Easwaran. He narrowly missed out on a maiden first-class century but gave East Zone a strong platform.
Also read: Watch- Yash Thakur Takes Brutal Revenge From Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
He was equally influential in the second innings. Chasing 159, Sooryavanshi scored a rapid 40 off 43 deliveries, including three fours and two sixes. His aggressive approach gave East Zone early momentum before Rajat Patidar took a spectacular catch to end his innings.
Overall, Sooryavanshi finished with 132 runs and played an important role in East Zone's progression to the final.
Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar lead East Zone's bowling attack
Mohammed Shami was another major performer for East Zone. The experienced Bengal pacer showed that he remains capable of making an impact in red-ball cricket as he delivered fiery spells against Central Zone.
Shami picked up three wickets in Central Zone's second innings, helping East Zone bowl the defending champions out for 158. Mukesh Kumar was even more effective, claiming four wickets in the innings and seven across the match.
Mukesh's accuracy proved crucial on a pitch where batting became increasingly difficult. His performance, alongside Shami's experience, ensured that East Zone needed only 159 runs to reach the final.
Ishan Kishan finishes the job for East Zone in Duleep Trophy 2026 SF 1
Ishan Kishan did not have the easiest outing with the bat but delivered when East Zone needed him most.
After Central Zone were bowled out for 158, East Zone were chasing 159 and lost wickets at regular intervals. Sooryavanshi's 40 provided the initial momentum before Ishan Kishan took control of the chase in the Duleep Trophy 2026 semi-final 1.
The East Zone captain remained unbeaten on 39 off 41 balls and guided his side across the line with four wickets in hand. His contribution was particularly important given the pressure of a low-scoring knockout match.
Rinku Singh shines despite Central Zone's exit
For Central Zone, Rinku Singh was one of the few batters to make a significant impact. He scored 60 off 88 balls in the first innings, with eight fours, and helped his side recover from a difficult position.
However, Central Zone could not build enough partnerships around him. Their first innings ended at 266, while they were bowled out for only 158 in the second innings.
Rinku's half-century was therefore a positive individual performance despite Central Zone's elimination.
Apart from that, Rajat Patidar managed only 12 and 5 with the bat, although his stunning catch to dismiss Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stood out.
Recent India debutants Saransh Jain and Harsh Dubey scored 13 and 27 respectively in the first innings, with Dubey also contributing four wickets.
Tilak Varma Produces A Captain's Knock For South Zone
The second semi-final saw arguably the most impressive batting performance from an India player. South Zone captain Tilak Varma produced a superb unbeaten 116 in the first innings against North Zone.
South Zone were in serious trouble at 80/5 after being asked to respond to North Zone's 195. However, Tilak joined forces with Shreyas Gopal to completely change the game.
Also read: Tilak Varma Strengthens 2027 World Cup Call-Up With Duleep Trophy Ton
The pair added 175 runs, with Tilak remaining unbeaten on 116 off 250 balls. His innings contained nine fours and helped South Zone post 312, giving them a crucial 117-run first-innings lead.
It was a classic red-ball knock from the India T20I vice-captain, as he showed patience and composure rather than looking to force the pace.
Tilak does it again in Duleep Trophy 2026 Semi-final 2
After North Zone recovered and set South Zone a target of 181, the South captain once again took responsibility. He scored an unbeaten 51 off 79 balls as South Zone completed the chase in 43.1 overs with seven wickets remaining.
Tilak therefore finished the semi-final with an extraordinary 167 unbeaten runs across his two innings, playing a central role in South Zone's qualification for the Duleep Trophy 2026 final.
His consistency across both innings will be particularly encouraging for the Indian team, especially with Tilak already being trusted with leadership responsibility in the T20I setup.
Arshdeep Singh delivers a disciplined spell
Arshdeep Singh was the most notable India player on the North Zone side. The left-arm pacer produced a disciplined effort against South Zone and finished with two wickets for 59 runs from 22 overs.
His wickets included Shreyas Gopal and Vidhwath Kaverappa, while his economy rate of 2.70 highlighted his ability to maintain pressure over a long spell.
However, Arshdeep could not prevent South Zone from building a substantial first-innings lead. North Zone's batting unit, consisting of Ayush Badoni and the hero of the quarter-final match, Anshul Kamboj, also struggled to provide enough support and eventually lost the semi-final by seven wickets.
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