Rajat Patidar’s diving catch ends Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s chase in Duleep Trophy semi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s innings ended when Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar completed a spectacular running, diving catch during East Zone’s chase of 159 in the Duleep Trophy semifinal in Bengaluru on Tuesday, September 1. The dismissal came off Vidarbha paceman Yash Thakur and removed Sooryavanshi at a pivotal moment of the chase.

Sooryavanshi opened the chase alongside Abhimanyu Easwaran and started cautiously, seeing off new-ball spells from medium pacer Aryan Pandey and off-spinner Saransh Jain. He struck the innings’ first six in the eighth over, with Easwaran also contributing when he dispatched a Saransh Jain delivery into the mid-wicket stands. The pair put on 61 for the first wicket before Sooryavanshi was dismissed for 40 off 43 balls. Soon after, Easwaran fell to left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey and East Zone slid from 61 for 0 to 93 for 3 when Harsh Dubey later accounted for Virat Singh, who made 12.

The catch occurred in the 14th over when Sooryavanshi began taking the attack to Yash Thakur, hitting a six and three boundaries in the first four balls of that over. On the final delivery of the 14th, he attempted a lofted slog that ballooned high into the afternoon sky and was taken by Patidar near the mid-wicket area. Patidar ran from inside the 30-yard circle, dived to complete the catch and clung on while moving backwards. The RCB captain remained composed throughout the effort.

Earlier in the match, Central Zone had posted 266 in their first innings. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had been a major contributor to East Zone’s position in the game, scoring an 81-ball 92 in the first innings that included seven sixes and seven boundaries. In that first innings Sooryavanshi and Easwaran had combined for a 161 opening stand before East Zone then lost their last nine wickets for 105 runs, failing to secure a substantial lead.

Rajat Patidar’s running, diving grab was described in the report as one of the finest catches of the tournament, and BCCI Domestic shared the scorecard and an image of the catch on Twitter. The dismissal removed a in-form batsman from the chase and featured prominently in coverage of the Duleep Trophy semifinal.

Sooryavanshi’s wicket left East Zone at 93 for 3 while chasing 159 in the Duleep Trophy semifinal in Bengaluru, with the contest and its outcome remaining decided on the remainder of that innings.