The Indian domestic season got underway on August 28 with the Duleep Trophy, which is being played in Bengaluru, featuring the top performers from the previous Ranji Trophy campaign and India probables.
With the West Zone and South Zone already qualifying for the semi-finals, the Central Zone takes on the North-East Zone and the North Zone faces the East Zone in the quarter finals at the Centre of Excellence.
One of the notable performances of the first day's play of the competition came from the Central Zone skipper, Rajat Patidar, who got off to a flier to strengthen his position in the pecking order of middle-order batters for India.
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Here's how things panned out for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper.
Duleep Trophy Day 1: Patidar and Malewar tons put Central Zone in driver's seat
After being asked to bat first in Bengaluru, the Central Zone lost Ayush Pandey's wicket early in the 3rd over of the day.
However, the Ranji Trophy champion with Vidarbha, the 21-year-old Danish Malewar and Aryan Juyal stabilised their ship and stitched a 139-run stand before the latter was retired hurt.
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Walking in at the important number 4 position, Rajat Patidar got off to a swashbuckling start to the red-ball season and smashed 125 runs in just 96 deliveries, with the help of 21 fours and 3 sixes.
The captain stitched a 199(172) partnership with Malewar, who is unbeaten at 198 off 219 alongside his Vidarbha teammate and highest run-scorer of the 2024/25 Ranji season, Yash Rathod's 32*(37), as Central Zone finished the day with 432/2 on the board.
The winner of this match will face a star-studded Western Zone from September 4 at the same venue.
Up next, the IPL-winning skipper with RCB is expected to lead the Madhya Pradesh side in the Ranji Trophy season as well.
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The 32-year-old had made his Test debut against England in 2024 home series, playing 3 Tests and managing to score 63 runs. He has also represented India in a solitary ODI against South Africa in Paarl, 2023.