Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 28: Making a memorable debut, JKCA’s wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan played a composed unbeaten knock of 42 runs to guide North Zone to 308/6 against a strong East Zone side on Day 1 of the Duleep Trophy match being held at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) Ground in Bengaluru.
Kanhaiya showcased poise and technical brilliance during his 92-ball innings, which included three elegant boundaries. His confident strokeplay and ability to find gaps on both sides of the wicket drew comparisons to legends like Azharuddin and Laxman, particularly with his wristy, graceful style.
Earlier, after being put into bat, North Zone got off to a solid start with J&K opener Shubham Khajuria (26) and skipper Ankit Kumar (30) putting on a decent opening stand. Their dismissals were followed by impressive performances from Ayush Badoni (63 off 60), Yash Dhull (39) and Nishant Sindhu (47).
Kanhaiya, along with Mayank Dagar (28), ensured stability towards the end, taking North Zone to a competitive position before rain interrupted play at 75.2 overs. Sahil Lotra (19) also contributed to the total. For East Zone, left-arm spinner Manishi was the pick of the bowlers, claiming 3 wickets for 90 runs in 19 overs, while Mohammad Shammi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal and Mukhtar Hussain took a wicket each.
A historic milestone was marked as four players from Jammu & Kashmir—Shubham Khajuria, Kanhaiya Wadhawan, Sahil Lotra and Auqib Nabi—made their Duleep Trophy debut, making it a proud day for JKCA. “DuleepTrophy2025. Historic moment for JKCA as four J&K players debut in NZ team,” posted on X by Brig Anil Gupta, Member Administration, JKCA.
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