Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar might not have been picked for the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, but still, he managed to grab the spotlight with his excellence. Rajat Patidar is currently captaining the Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2025 Final against the South Zone at Bengaluru.
Patidar won the toss and invited Mohammed Azharuddeen-led South Zone to bat first in the Duleep Trophy 2025 Final. Central Zone bowlers have been on a roll; Kumar Kartikeya and Saransh Jain, in particular, have already shared eight wickets between them against South Africa.
Rajat Patidar’s stunning catch steals the show in Duleep Trophy 2025 Final
Amidst Kumar Kartikeya and Saransh Jain’s heroics with the ball, Patidar won hearts with his remarkable presence of mind and athleticism in the 49th over of South Zone’s first innings at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence Ground at the NCA in Bengaluru on Monday, September 11.
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In a moment of pure brilliance, Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar pulled off one of the most breathtaking catches of the Duleep Trophy 2025, leaving players, commentators, and fans in awe. He grabbed the extraordinary catch to dismiss South Zone’s Salman Nizar off Saransh Jain’s delivery.
The ball, rising sharply from a length, forced Nizar to push forward, only for the edge past the bat to fly toward silly point. The fielder at silly point managed to get a hand on it, but it jumped off toward the gully, and that’s where Patidar showed perfect awareness and lightning-fast reflexes.
At that moment, Patidar, without wasting a time, launched himself forward, diving just inches above the ground to snatch the ball cleanly before crashing onto the turf in full athletic glory. After the Central Zone got an important wicket, the commentators were just in awe of Patidar for his efforts.
Excellent awareness & presence of mind! 👌
Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar completes a brilliant tag-team catch to dismiss Salman Nizar 🔥
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/unz0hJ66yE#DuleepTrophy | #Final | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/uJBtd7buWF
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 11, 2025
Saransh Jain’s five-wicket haul rocks South Zone in Duleep Trophy 2025 Final
Meanwhile, Saransh Jain finished with the five-wicket haul as Central Zone folded the South Zone for just 149 runs in their first innings in the ongoing Duleep Trophy 2025 Final. Jain bowled two maiden overs and gave away only 49 runs in his 24 overs against the South Zone in Bengaluru.
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Rajat Patidar’s captaincy was spot-on, as the overnight rain left the pitch damp, and the morning sky was cloaked in thick clouds, so bowling first was the perfect call. The seamers kept things tight early on, but the real havoc began once spin took over. Kumar Kartikeya opened the floodgates with two quick wickets, while Jain’s relentless precision stopped the flow of runs.
After lunch, Jain dismantled South’s middle order with sharp turns and deceptive variations that left batters guessing. Tanmay Agarwal was South Zone’s highest scorer with 31 runs off 76 balls against the Central Zone in the summit clash in Bengaluru.
Play will resume after the tea break, and Patidar and his team will be keen on making the most of the golden start against the South Zone. There will be a huge responsibility on the skipper’s shoulders, while they will hope to get a good start from Yash Rathod, Danish Malewar, and Akshay Wadkar.
