Duleep Trophy 2026 begins as East Zone nears semi-final berth; North v West remains tight
The Duleep Trophy 2026 got underway on August 23, opening India’s domestic first-class season, with quarter-final ties including East Zone v North-East Zone and North Zone v West Zone — the latter taking place in Bengaluru — scheduled as four-day matches from August 23 to 26.
Six zonal sides — North Zone, South Zone, East Zone, West Zone, Central Zone and North-East Zone — are competing in a knockout-format Duleep Trophy that began this week; Central Zone are the defending champions while South Zone, last season’s runners-up, received direct entry into the semi-finals. The remaining four teams started in the quarter-finals, contesting two spots to join the semi-final stage.
The two quarter-finals have produced contrasting contests: East Zone have overwhelmingly dominated the Northeast Zone and are described as almost on the brink of a massive victory to march into the semis. That margin of control leaves East Zone close to securing one of the two available semi-final berths.
By contrast, the North Zone versus West Zone match has been much closer, with the two sides trading successes between bat and ball and neither team able to assert a decisive advantage so far. Both North and West squads include several experienced international stars, a factor the coverage says has kept the contest finely balanced.
The knockout fixtures are being played as four-day Test-format matches from August 23 to 26, with the North v West tie taking place in Bengaluru. These scheduling and format details frame the early phase of India’s domestic first-class season as the quarter-final winners vie for semi-final places.
The Duleep Trophy’s origins are noted in the coverage: the first match was played on September 30, 1961, during the inaugural 1961–62 Duleep Trophy season, and the tournament is named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhj.
Subhomoy Datta has been a sports writer since 2022. He holds a BSc in Microbiology from Rastraguru Surendranath College, WBSU, and is currently pursuing his master’s at NIT Surathkal. With a growing interest in sports journalism, he enjoys following the game closely and turning sporting moments into stories for fans. For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
With East Zone close to sealing a semi-final spot and the North v West encounter still undecided, the semi-final lineup will include South Zone plus the two quarter-final winners, who will be determined once the ongoing four-day knockout matches conclude.