North Zone stunned star-studded West Zone by 52 runs to mark into the Duleep Trophy 2026 thanks to Jammu and Kashmir spinner Abid Mushtaq’s 9-wicket haul.
Updated: August 26, 2026, 11:21 AM IST
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North Zone’s Abid Mushtaq was named ‘Player of the Match’ in Duleep Trophy 2026 quarterfinal vs West Zone(Source: X)
North Zone vs West Zone Duleep Trophy 2026: North Zone staged a stunning comeback in the fourth innings of the game against West Zone, from 195 for 3 defending 287 to win, to march into the Duleep Trophy 2026 semifinal on WednesdayThe star of North Zone’s 52-run win over Ruturaj Gaikwad-led West Zone was Jammu and Kashmir left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq, who ended up with 9 wickets in the game.
Mushtaq, who considers Team India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as his idol, claimed 5/39 in 25.4 overs in the first inning and then followed it up with 4/60 in 22 overs in the second innings to bundle out West Zone for 234 in 57.3 overs on fourth and final day of the quarterfinal matchThe 29-year-old was named the ‘Player of the Match’ in the quarterfinal for his nine wickets in the game.
West Zone resumed at 220 for 8 with Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat batter Urvil Patel going strongly in the middleMushtaq provided the first breakthrough, having Rajasthan Royals pacer Tushar Deshpande caught by Abdul Samad for 5 to reduce the West side to 234 for 9.
Gujarat Titans all-rounder Nishant Sindhu ended West Zone innings, trapping Urvil Patel in front for 25 off 35 balls with four fours to bring an end to their valiant chase.
WATCH Abid Mushtaq and Nishant Sindhu end West Zone chase in Duleep Trophy 2026 quarterfinal HERE…
Abid Mushtaq takes 2 wickets in an over to end Day 3
West Zone need 67 runsNorth Zone need 3 wickets.
A thrilling final day awaits us!
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/cATggoXuky#DuleepTrophy pic.twitter.com/UUyzTLa4uL
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) August 25, 2026
Victory for North Zone
They bowl West Zone out for 234 to win by 52 runs and enter the semis
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/cATggoXuky#DuleepTrophy pic.twitter.com/EgdEtRJxnK
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) August 26, 2026
It was a thrilling comeback from North Zone, who had their backs against the wall after Gaikwad and Musheer Khan’s 101-run partnership for the fourth wicketEven after Gaikwad was dismissed for 66 off 70 balls with 7 fours, West Zone were well placed at 211 for 4 at one stage.
But Musheer Khan, brother of Indian batter Sarfaraz Khan, was dismissed for 96 off 126 balls with 2 sixes and 8 fours – caught behind off the bowling of Nishant SindhuMushtaq and Sindhu claimed six wickets in the second innings of West Zone while Punjab Kings pacer Arshdeep Singh and CSK fast bowler Anshul Kamboj claimed one wicket each.
While Arshdeep ended up with four wickets in the match, Kamboj struck a crucial 52-ball 60 in the first innings of the Duleep Trophy 2026 quarterfinal with 5 sixes in what was a low-scoring encounter.
Mushtaq, meanwhile, has an impressive record in first-class cricket with 143 wickets in 46 matches at an average of 21.44 and has also scored 1506 runs with the bat with 1 century and 6 fifties so far.
North Zone will now take on Tilak Varma’s South Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2026 semifinal while Ishan Kishan-led East Zone will face defending champions Central Zone, led by Rajat Patidar, in the other semifinal at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) grounds in Bengaluru from August 30.
