North Zone takes on South Zone in the second semi-final of the 2026 Duleep Trophy, in a much-awaited clash filled with star-studded names looking to make a mark. The two teams have strong squads and will be looking to make sure that they put on a brilliant display to seal their place in the finals of the tournament.
North Zone come into this clash after a dominant 52-run victory over West Zone, where they put on a brilliant performance with the ball. They will be taking on last year's finalists in South
Zone, who fell short against Central Zone and will be looking to clear the final step.
Here are 3 players to keep an eye out for in the Duleep Trophy semifinal 2:
3. Anshul Kamboj (North Zone)
Anshul Kamboj has established his status as a reliable bowler in the red-ball format, and can also offer handy runs with the bat. The Haryana man was one of the key performers for North Zone in the quarter-final clash, where, after a batting collapse, he scored 60 off 52 balls to take his side to 251 after batting first, while also picking up three wickets in the match.
Kamboj has shone across formats in the domestic game, and also earned a maiden Test cap with India in England last year. A skiddy pacer who can move the ball both ways, Kamboj will be hoping to use this tournament as a platform to establish himself as a strike bowler as India looks to add names to their pace-bowling battery.
2. Smaran Ravichandran (South Zone)
Smaran Ravichandran has been one of the most talked-about names in the domestic circuit. The left-handed batter from Karnataka has been making waves with a truckload of runs in first-class and List A cricket, and even finished as the top run-getter in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy season. He scored 950 runs in 14 innings at an average of 86.36, with his four centuries, three half-centuries and highest score of 227* underlining his ability to score big runs.
Smaran will be looking to make a mark on the national scene with a stellar run for the South Zone side, which would put him in the reckoning as India builds a red-ball team for the future. His versatility across positions and temperament to score runs have been highly regarded in the game, and he would be primed to make a statement in the semifinal clash.
1. Abid Mushtaq (North Zone)
Jammu & Kashmir left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq was the star of the show in North Zone's dominant 52-run victory in the quarterfinal. He picked up nine wickets to bamboozle the West Zone batters, picking up figures of 5 for 39 and 4 for 60 across both innings. The West Zone batters were unable to deal with his angles and deception, falling prey to his left-arm spin.
Mushtaq played a key role in J&K's maiden Ranji Trophy triumph earlier in the year, where he picked up 20 wickets in ten matches, regarded for his ability to hold an end. Mushtaq will be looking to put up one more setllar performance in the semi-final, establishing himself as a reliable name in the domestic circuit.
