India B, led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, bagged a 76-run win over India A in the first round to start their Duleep Trophy 2024-25 campaign on a successful note at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. In the other game of the first round, India C defeated India D by four wickets in Anantapur.
After being tasked to bat first, India B were in all sorts of trouble in the first innings, losing seven wickets for 94 runs. However, No. 3 batter Musheer Khan stood tall, scoring 181 runs from 373 balls with 16 fours and five sixes.
He received excellent support from tailender Navdeep Saini, who scored 56 runs in 144 balls with eight fours and one six. Eventually, India B posted a dominating total of 321 runs in 116 overs. Akash Deep was the wrecker-in-chief for India A, scalping four wickets.
In response, India A got bundled out for 231 runs in 71.4 overs. KL Rahul emerged as the top-scorer in the innings with 37 runs. Mukesh Kumar and Navdeep Saini scalped three wickets apiece for India B.
In the second innings, India B could score 184 runs before getting all-out in 42 overs, managing a healthy lead of 274 runs. Sarfaraz Khan (46) and Rishabh Pant (61) were exceptional in the innings while Akash Deep continued his good bowling with a fifer for India A.
In the chase, India A kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Though KL Rahul (57) stood tall with Akash Deep scoring some important runs in the final few overs, it wasn't enough for them as they got bundled out for 198 runs, losing the game by 76 runs.
In the other match in Anantapur, India D batted first and got bundled out for 164 runs with Axar Patel (86) emerging as the top-scorer. Vijaykumar Vyshak scalped a three-fer for India C.
India C, in response, could score only 168 runs in 62.2 overs, taking a four-run lead. Baba Indrajith was the top-scorer of the innings with 72 runs. Harshit Rana scalped a four-fer for India D.
In the second innings, India D posted a total of 236 runs in 58.1 overs with captain Shreyas Iyer (54) and Devdutt Padikkal (56) scoring some important runs. Manav Suthar picked up a seven-wicket haul for India C.
In the chase, India C finished off the game in 61 overs with four wickets in hand. Ruturaj Gaikwad (46), Aryan Juyal (47) and Rajat Patidar (44) were impressive in the fourth innings for India C.
That said, let’s take a look at the leading run-getters and wicket-takers of the ongoing Duleep Trophy 2024-25 season after Round 1.
Duleep Trophy 2024 Most Runs
India B's Musheer Khan took the pole position with 181 runs from two innings while India D batter Axar Patel (114) bagged the second rank. KL Rahul, the India A top-order batter, scored 94 runs to take the third position.
India C batter Baba Indrajith scored 79 runs to secure the fourth spot while India B pacer Navdeep Saini bagged the fifth position with 69 runs. India C keeper-batter Abishek Porel scored 69 runs from two innings to take the sixth rank.
Rishabh Pant (68), Shreyas Iyer (63), Riyan Parag (61) and Aryan Junal (59) bag the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th positions respectively.
Duleep Trophy 2024 Most Wickets
India A pacer Akash Deep scalped nine wickets from two innings to emerge as the leading wicket-taker. India C left-arm spinner Manav Suthar scalped eight wickets from two innings to take up the second spot.
India D bowler Saransh Jain scalped six wickets to propel to the third spot while India C pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak picked up five wickets at 16 to move to fourth. Navdeep Saini, the India B pacer, is at the fifth spot with five scalps at 20.20.
Mukesh Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed also pocketed five wickets apiece at 22.40 and 24.60 to seal the sixth and seventh spots, respectively. Harshit Rana (4) and Yash Dayal (4) were also impressive, taking the eighth and ninth spots at 18 and 22.25 respectively while Avesh Khan took the 10th position with three scalps at 25.66.
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