The first semi-final of Duleep Trophy 2025 will be played between South Zone (SZ) and North Zone (NZ) on 4 September 2025 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, Bengaluru. It is a crucial knockout match of the red-ball tournament. The match will start at 9:30 am IST.
South Zone have got direct entry into the semi-finals by being the finalists of the previous zonal format (2023), while North Zone made it to the semi-finals by defeating East Zone in the quarter-finals with a first innings lead of 175 runs.
The live telecast of the match will not be available, but the live scorecard will be available on the official website of BCCI.
South Zone vs North Zone 2025: Head to Head
South Zone holds a 2-0 lead over North Zone in the last 10 encounters. However, the data mentions only two wins, with South Zone defeating North Zone in 2023.
South Zone and North Zone Team Status
South Zone: South Zone, the defending champions (2023), have not played any match yet this season, as they got direct entry into the semi-finals. Their batting is dominated by Devdutt Padikkal (2815 FC runs, 41.39 average), Tanmay Agarwal (46.33 average), and Narayan Jagadeesan.
Vijaykumar Vyshak (103 FC wickets, 23.88 average) and R Sai Kishore (spin all-rounder) are their strength in bowling.
However, captain Tilak Varma is absent due to Asia Cup 2025, and Mohammed Azharuddeen will lead the captaincy.
North Zone: North Zone made it to the semi-finals with a first innings lead of 175 runs despite a draw against East Zone in the quarter-final. Their batting was brilliant with Ayush Badoni (267 runs), Ankit Kumar (228 runs), and Yash Dhull (172 runs).
Auqib Nabi (5 wickets, double hat-trick) and Harshit Rana (2 wickets) impressed in bowling. However, Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana might be absent due to Asia Cup 2025, which will see Ankit Kumar lead the side.
South Zone (SZ) Probable Playing XI
- Tanmay Agarwal
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Mohammed Azharuddeen (C&WK)
- Narayan Jagadeesan
- Ricky Bhui
- Mohit Kale
- R Sai Kishore
- Tanay Thyagarajan
- Vijaykumar Vyshak
- Gurjapneet Singh
- Nedumankuzhy Basil
North Zone (NZ) Probable Playing XI
- Shubham Khajuria
- Ankit Kumar (C)
- Yash Dhull
- Ayush Badoni
- Ankit Kalsi
- Nishant Sindhu
- Kanhaiya Wadhawan (WK)
- Auqib Nabi
- Mayank Dagar
- Anshul Kamboj
- Yudhvir Singh Charak
South Zone vs North Zone Match Weather and Pitch Report
The pitch at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground is a batting friendly one, with the average score being 469 runs in the first innings and 495 runs in the third innings. However, the scores in the second and fourth innings hover around 208 and 200 runs respectively, indicating help for the bowlers.
On 4 September 2025, the temperature in Bengaluru will be 22-25°C in the morning, partly cloudy and there is a 40-50% chance of rain in the afternoon. Interruptions due to rain are possible in the second half of the day, which may increase the chances of a draw.
South Zone vs North Zone Match Prediction
South Zone vs North Zone match prediction: The stability of Devdutt Padikkal and Tanmay Agarwal in the batting of South Zone, along with the bowling of Vijaykumar Vyshak and R Sai Kishore, make them strong.
Their head-to-head record (14-9) and 2023 Championship win give them confidence. North Zone’s batting has been in excellent form with Ayush Badoni, Ankit Kumar, and Yash Dhull in recent form, and Auqib Nabi’s bowling is their strength.
However, the absence of Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana could weaken North Zone’s bowling.
The batting friendly nature of the pitch and the possibility of rain increase the chances of a draw, but the first innings lead will be decisive.
