India D secured a convincing victory over India B in the match, winning by a margin of 257 runs. It was a stellar performance by India D, with Samson scoring 106 runs and Bhui adding 56 runs in the first innings. Saini was the standout bowler for India D, taking 5 wickets for 74 runs. In India B's first innings, Easwaran scored a century with 116 runs, while Washington contributed 87 runs. However, Saurabh's 5 wickets for 73 runs put India B on the back foot. In the second innings, Bhui played a brilliant unbeaten inning of 119 runs for India D. Mukesh was the pick of the bowlers for India B, taking 4 wickets for 98 runs, while Saini chipped in with 3 wickets for 58 runs. Chasing a target of 373 runs, India B faltered and were bowled out for just 115 runs. Nitish was the top scorer with 40 not out, but it was not enough. Arshdeep took an impressive 6 wickets for 40 runs, while Thakare supported with 4 wickets for 59 runs to seal the victory for India D.
Arshdeep Singh's first-class career-best of 6 for 40 helped deliver a consolation win for India D in the final round of the Duleep Trophy 2024-25, in Anantapur. Set 373 for victory in a little over two sessions, India B folded for 115 in just 22.2 overs, with Arshdeep and Vidarbha seamer Aditya Thakare, who got 4 for 59, picking up all ten wickets between them.
Arshdeep's strikes across both innings included the big one of Suryakumar Yadav, who only managed scores of 5 and 16 in his first first-class fixture in over a year. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep, who picked up only his second five-wicket haul in first-class cricket, finished with a match haul of 9 for 90.
India B's allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was the only batter to offer any semblance of resistance, remaining unbeaten on 40 when Arshdeep fittingly picked up the final wicket to clinch a 257-run victory before tea on the fourth and final day.
As well as Arshdeep contributed, it was batter Ricky Bhui who was named the Player of the Match. Bhui top-scored in the second innings with an unbeaten 119, going with 56 in the first, to swell the lead after India D found themselves in trouble at 18 for 3 in the second innings. Bhui, who began the day unbeaten on 90, completed his 20th first-class century quickly as India D added 59 more to their overnight 244 for 5 even as spin-bowling allrounder Saransh Jain didn't come out to bat due to an unspecified injury.
India B's hopes of going after the target needed a stable base from the top order, but that wasn't to be, as they quickly found themselves three down inside eight overs. Musheer Khan, who had opened the tournament with a backs-to-the-wall 181, was out for his second duck in four innings since, to end a tournament that had promised much more.
Nitish, who himself hadn't contributed as much as he would have liked with the bat, ended the tournament on a brighter note, albeit in a losing cause. He managed two wickets with the ball during the competition, where he showed the ability to bowl long spells and move the ball both ways at a brisk pace.
Arshdeep aside, Saurabh Kumar, the left-arm-spinner, enjoyed a productive outing; his five-wicket haul in the first innings setting up a 67-run lead for India D. In other positives for them, Shreyas Iyer, who was leading the side, hit 50 off just 40 balls in the second innings, while Sanju Samson, the first-innings centurion, played a cameo in the second to set up a total they were able to eventually defend.
For India B, Abhimanyu Easwaran was among their bright spots. Having begun the tournament with two very uncharacteristic dismissals, he bounced back with twin hundreds in his subsequent outings. However, a loss in the final game ended his side's chances of clinching the Duleep Trophy, as India A are all but certain to gain three points from their ongoing fixture against India C.