The latest edition of the Duleep Trophy has concluded with India A beating India C by 132 runs to secure their second title. The tournament witnessed some fine performances from youngsters and established stars alike.
A fine century by Shashwat Rawat and brilliant bowling spells from Tanush Kotian and Prasidh Krishna helped India A secure their first Duleep Trophy title with a win over India C on Sunday in Anantapur.
A century from Shashwat (124) lifted India A to 297 in the first innings after initially being reduced to 36/5. Avesh Khan and Aaqib Khan then took three-wicket hauls, taking a 63-run lead despite Abhishek Porel's fighting 82 for India C.
India A consolidated their dominance with half-centuries from Riyan Parag (73) and Shashwat (53) taking them to 286/8 declared. India C could not chase the 350 runs set despite a century from Sai Sudarshan (111) as Prasidh Krishna and Tanush Kotian played big role in skittling them out for just 217 runs.
Let us have a look at the top performers from the Duleep Trophy 2024.
Top run-getters in the competition:
Ricky Bhui (India D)
The Andhra Pradesh batter played three matches, scoring 359 runs in six innings at an average of 71.80, with two centuries and a fifty in six innings and best score of 119*, which came in the third round.
Abhimanyu Easwaran (India B)
The Bengal domestic cricket veteran struggled initially, but roared back in form with two centuries. In three matches and five innings, he scored 309 runs at an average of 77.25, with two centuries and a best score of 157*.
Shashwat Rawat (India A)
This Baroda batter hit a match-winning century for India A, smashing 124 in 250 balls and lifting his team to a fine score after they were five down for 36. In the whole tournament, he played two matches and scored 256 runs at an average of 85.33, with a century and two fifties in four innings.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (India C)
The India C skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad played some fine knocks, but still fell short of guiding his team to a title. In six innings across three matches, he scored 232 runs at an average of 38.66, with two fifties and a best score of 62.
Sai Sudarshan (India C)
The elegant left-hander from Tamil Nadu showed some flashes of brilliance in this competition. After some poor scores and promising starts, Sudarshan saved his best for the last, scoring a gutsy, lone warrior century during a tense 350-run chase. In three matches and six innings, he scored 211 runs at an average of 35.16, with the best score of 111.
Top wicket-takers in the competition:
Anshul Kambhoj (India C)
The India C all-rounder playing for Haryana was the leading wicket-taker and the 'Player of the Tournament, with 16 scalps in three matches at an average of 17.12 and best figures of 8/69 against a star-studded India B consisting of Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Rinku Singh, etc.
Mukesh Kumar (India B)
Having made himself available during the competition, this recent India regular who made his all-format debut for the country last year, took 15 wickets at an average of 28.60, with best figures of 4/98.
Navdeep Saini (India B)
The Indian quick, who has played 21 international matches for India, took 14 wickets at an average of 25.42, with the best figures of 5/74.
Arshdeep Singh (India D)
The Indian left-arm pacer, a regular in T20Is and an emerging ODI star, put forward his case for Test debut, with 13 wickets in three matches at an average of 21.00 and best figures of 6/40 against India B.
Tanush Kotian (India A)
The all-rounder was a key figure in India A's triumph, taking 10 wickets at an average of 22.00 and best figures of 4/73. With the bat, he scored 121 runs in five innings at an average of 30.25, with a best score of 53.
India A finished at the top with two wins, one loss, and 12 points, while India C was second with a win, loss, and draw, giving them total of nine points. India B was at third spot with a win, loss and a draw, giving them seven points and India D sat at the bottom with a win and two draws, giving them just six points.
