Overview
- West Zone captain Shardul Thakur won the toss and chose to bat, but Khaleel Ahmed trapped Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw in the opening over and Deepak Chahar removed Harvik Desai early.
- Ruturaj Gaikwad countered with his eighth first-class hundred, building stands of 82 with Aarya Desai and 138 with Tanush Kotian to rebuild the innings on Day 1.
- Shreyas Iyer started briskly but was bowled by Khaleel for 25, with Central’s left-arm quick also claiming the marquee wicket after dismissing Jaiswal.
- Central confirmed absences of captain-wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel due to dengue and spinner Kuldeep Yadav owing to Asia Cup commitments, with Rajat Patidar leading and Upendra Yadav taking the gloves.
- The South vs North semifinal saw a delayed start due to a wet outfield, with both sides depleted by injuries and Asia Cup call-ups including Tilak Varma, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.