Duleep Trophy 2023 Final: Here is the statistical preview
What's the story
The West Zone will cross swords against the South Zone in the final of the 2023 Duleep Trophy, starting July 12. Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium will host the title clash.
While the WZone qualified for the finals due to their first innings lead over Central Zone, SZone defeated North Zone in a thrilling semi-final to reach here.
Here's the statistical preview.
Titles
West Zone chasing Duleep Trophy history
With a first innings lead against CZone, WZone entered their record 34th Duleep Trophy final.
WZone have won 18 Duleep Trophy honors, tied with NZone at the top. Therefore, if they win the upcoming final, they will move past NZone and take the sole lead.
Meanwhile, it is the 24th final for SZone. They have won the title 13 times till now.
Stadium
A look at the stadium stats
Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium will host the final on July 12. 354 reads the average first-innings score batting first at this venue.
Notably, Cheteshwar Pujara has smashed 277 runs in five Test matches at 39.57 at this ground.
SZone's Vidwath Kaverappe who represents Karnataka in domestic cricket has scalped 33 wickets at Chinnaswamy across all domestic formats in only six matches at 14.66.
Pujara
Cheteshwar Pujara averages 48.50 in Duleep Trophy
Pujara has been a behemoth in the domestic scene. He has compiled runs in each and every tournament.
He has amassed 1,067 runs in Duleep Trophy, the most runs among the players featuring in the upcoming final.
He made those runs in 14 matches at an impressive average of 48.50. He owns four hundreds and a couple of fifties.
His highest score reads 256*.
Key performers
Here are the key performers
Pujara is the fifth-highest run-scorer, having scored 163 runs in a solitary match. He scored a brilliant 133 in the semi-finals against CZone.
Mayank Agarwal leads SZone with 130 runs, courtesy of his gutsy 76 in the first innings of the semifinals against NZone.
Kaverappa scalped seven wickets in the semifinals against NZone.
Meanwhile, Arzan Nagwaswalla also claimed six wickets in the last match.
Milestones
Here are the key milestones
Mayank needs 24 runs to complete 7,000 First Class runs.
Kaverappa (41) needs nine more scalps to complete 50 FC wickets.
Ricky Bhui (3,862) requires 138 runs to get to 4,000 FC runs.
Nagwaswalla (93) is seven scalps away from completing 100 FC wickets. Atit Sheth needs two scalps to reach the same milestone.
Priyank Panchal needs 71 runs to complete 8,000 FC runs.