Duleep Trophy: East Zone seal final berth as Shami continues to knock on selectors' doors for India return

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 1 (ANI): East Zone defeated Central Zone by four wickets in a thrilling first semifinal of the Duleep Trophy at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here on Tuesday to book their place in the final.
Chasing 159 for victory, East Zone reached 162/6 in 39.3 overs, with captain Ishan Kishan leading the chase with a composed 39. Kishan remained unbeaten on 39, while Mohammed Shami hit the winning runs as East Zone completed a hard-fought victory.
The victory sends East Zone into the Duleep Trophy final, while Central Zone's campaign and title defence come to an end.
Ace seamer Mohammed Shami enjoyed an impressive outing, finishing with five wickets in the match as he continued to make a strong case for a return to the Indian team and keep knocking on the selectors' doors.
Shami's last international match for India was against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium last year in March.
Central Zone were bowled out for 158 in their second innings. Mukesh Kumar was the standout bowler for East Zone, claiming 4/44, while Mohammed Shami returned figures of 3/56. The duo dismantled the Central Zone batting line-up and left East Zone with a target of 159.
Aman Mokhade top-scored for Central Zone with 41 in the second innings, while Arshad Khan made 25 and Harsh Dubey contributed 24.
Central Zone had earlier posted 266 in their first innings, with Rinku Singh making a valuable 60. East Zone replied with 266, led by a sensational 92 from teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Sooryavanshi's knock came off just 81 balls and included seven fours and seven sixes. The 15-year-old also became the youngest batter to score a half-century in Duleep Trophy history, underlining his growing reputation in domestic cricket.
The youngster continued his attacking approach in the second innings, scoring 40 off 43 balls as East Zone made a positive start to their chase. His innings, however, came to an end after Central Zone captain Rajat Patidar produced a spectacular running catch to dismiss him.
Central Zone fought back by claiming wickets at regular intervals, with Harsh Dubey finishing with four wickets. However, Kishan held the innings together and ensured East Zone stayed ahead of the required rate before completing the chase. (ANI)