Shahbaz Ahmed 167 runs 4 wickets powered East Zone to an innings and 210-run win over North East Zone at the Duleep Trophy 2026 in Bengaluru.
East’s convincing triumph wasn’t only a result of Shahbaz’s crucial first-innings century combined with good bowling; the remaining squad members had also put in strong efforts with the bat and ball. Sudip Kumar Gharami scored 146, while Anukul Roy took 5 wickets. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi had a notable outing with the ball after a brief innings.
What happened in the East Zone vs North East Zone?
EAST ZONE Defeat NORTH EAST ZONE BY AN INNINGS AND 210 RUNS Duleep Trophy 2026 QF: Shahbaz Ahmed hundred, bags 4 in an innings against NE Zone. Other East Zone bowlers ripped through the collapse of the NE batsmen. In Duleep trophy 2026, East zone demolished North East zone by an innings and 210 runs in a quarter final match played yesterday.
The South West zone, electing to bat first scored a huge total of 467 with centurions Shahbaz Ahmed and Sudip Kumar Gharami giving them a great advantage early on.
North East Zone had collapsed for 111 in the first Innings. Given 356 runs advantage, North East Zone batting again collapsed for 146 runs.
East Zone vs North East Zone: Key match figures
| Category | East Zone | North East Zone |
| First innings | 467 | 111 |
| Second innings | — | 146 |
| Result | Won by an innings and 210 runs | Lost |
| Top East Zone batter | Shahbaz Ahmed – 167 | — |
| Other major East Zone score | Sudip Kumar Gharami – 146 | — |
How did Shahbaz Ahmed perform?
Arguably man of the match, Shahbaz Ahmed struck 167 and took four wickets across both of North East Zone’s innings for East Zone. He was a standout for the victors due to his proficiency with bat and ball in East Zone’s comfortable quarter-final victory.
With an unbeaten 167 across East Zone’s only batting innings, Shahbaz hit one of the bedrock innings to contribute to a monster total of 467. And alongside his 167 of 244 balls, was considered amongst the main efforts of the quarter-final as identified by the BCCI’s coverage.
With the ball he finished 3/20 and 1/53 with four wickets over both innings; combined with his huge efforts with the willow, it proved an immensely useful contribution to a first-class match.
How did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi perform in the Duleep Trophy?
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made eight runs in his debut match in Duleep trophy for East Zone. Later played a few games for East Zone playing a few handy overs. The teenager batter didn’t last too long at the crease facing 6 deliveries for 8 runs as soon as reached the score and was soon dismissed and picked up the performance with the ball in the second innings of North East Zone.
With the ball too he was in great form dismissing Kishan Lyngdoh caught by R. Singh at cover on his scoring just 25 runs. Later on he caught Imliwati Lemtur out leg before on the scoring of a mere 4 runs in the last delivery of the over of this particular spinner.
The three over spells picked him 2wickets to his name giving away just 11 runs.
He got two wickets of the same over.
The boy was selected by the BCCI with Indian opener Ishan Kishan as captain as the vice captain for the team in the 2026-27 season of the Duleep trophy.
Who else starred for East Zone?
Sudip Kumar Gharami and the East Zone bowling attack played major roles in the victory alongside Shahbaz Ahmed.
Gharami scored 146, providing another substantial contribution to East Zone’s 467. His innings, together with Shahbaz’s 167, ensured East Zone had enough runs to put North East Zone under sustained pressure.
The bowling performance was equally decisive:
- Anukul Roy: five wickets in North East Zone’s second innings.
- Abhijit Sarkar: five wickets in North East Zone’s first innings.
- Shahbaz Ahmed: four wickets across the match.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: 2/11 in three overs during the second innings.
The combined performance meant North East Zone never came close to challenging East Zone after being asked to follow on.
Why was East Zone’s victory so dominant?
East Zone’s triumph was thoroughly convincing. This followed a first innings of 467 from them, and two demolitions of North East Zone for 111 and 146.
Having made a first-innings advantage of 356, East Zone were in a dominant position and chose not to bat again. They enforced the follow-on, and had their opponents under fire once more. North East Zone slumped to 146 in their second innings, and hence East Zone did not have to bat a second time to take victory by an innings and 210 runs.
When is East Zone’s Duleep Trophy semifinal?
East Zone are set to meet Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final on August 30, 2026 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru. That semifinal is another chance for players such as Shahbaz Ahmed, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sudip Kumar Gharami and East Zone’s bowling unit to follow up on their efforts in the quarter-final.
BCCI’s tournament is divided into six regions – North, South, East, West, Central and North East – the 2026-27 editions opening the Indian domestic cricket year.
What does Shahbaz Ahmed’s performance mean for East Zone?
Sixteen runs and four wickets from Shahbaz Ahmed that should make East Zone the first to make an impact in a knockout match. In a knockout tie, the two halves in which first class games of knock outs are partitioned into two distinct roles. Shahbaz took East Zone to a massive total while defending what he could have to make sure his side takes the lead.
Five five wicket hauls from Abhijit Sarkar and three by Anukul Roy while Gharami chipped in 146 runs makes it complete East zone performance
Duleep Trophy 2026: Key takeaways
- Shahbaz Ahmed scored 167 runs for East Zone.
- Shahbaz also took four wickets in the match.
- Sudip Kumar Gharami scored 146 runs.
- East Zone scored 467 in its first innings.
- North East Zone was dismissed for 111 and 146.
- East Zone won by an innings and 210 runs.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 8 runs on debut.
- Sooryavanshi responded with 2/11 from three overs.
- East Zone advanced to the Duleep Trophy semifinal.
- East Zone’s semifinal against Central Zone is scheduled for August 30 in Bengaluru.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who scored 167 runs in the Duleep Trophy 2026?
Shahbaz Ahmed scored 167 runs for East Zone against North East Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026 quarterfinal. His innings was the highest score of East Zone’s 467-run total.
How many wickets did Shahbaz Ahmed take?
Shahbaz Ahmed took four wickets in the quarterfinal, returning bowling figures of 3/20 and 1/53 across North East Zone’s two innings.
How many runs did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi score?
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored eight runs from six balls on his Duleep Trophy debut for East Zone.
How many wickets did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi take?
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi took two wickets for 11 runs from three overs against North East Zone. Both wickets came in the same over.
Who won East Zone vs North East Zone?
East Zone won the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal by an innings and 210 runs. North East Zone was bowled out for 111 in the first innings and 146 in the second after East Zone posted 467.
Who will East Zone play in the semifinal?
East Zone will face Central Zone in the semifinal on August 30, 2026, in Bengaluru
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