Auqib Nabi stole the show on Day 2 of the Duleep Trophy 2025 with a sensational four wickets in four balls, setting the stage alight in Bengaluru. But it wasn’t just about Nabi. His North Zone teammates, pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana—both recently picked for India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad—also made notable contributions in the ongoing clash against East Zone.
Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana Warm Up Ahead of Asia Cup 2025
Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana bowled a combined 31 of the 56.1 overs in East Zone’s first innings, showing their endurance and skill on a pitch offering some help to the seamers. The duo shared three wickets, with Rana returning figures of 2/56 from 14 overs and Arshdeep ending with 1/51 from 17 overs.
Rana made a strong impact, dismissing two of the top three batters—Utkarsh Singh for 38 and Sridam Paul for 7. Arshdeep got North Zone off to a flying start by removing opener Sharandeep Singh for just six, but wasn’t able to add to his tally despite a disciplined spell.
The Asia Cup-bound duo will head to the UAE next month as part of India’s campaign that kicks off on September 10 against the host nation, UAE. While Arshdeep has been a regular face in India’s white-ball squads, Harshit was recently included as an injury replacement during the England Test series but didn’t make the playing XI.
North Zone Build Strong Lead Heading into Day 3
North Zone have put themselves in a commanding position with a first-innings lead of 175 runs. They’ll look to extend that advantage further when play resumes on Day 3, Saturday, August 30, aiming to set East Zone a daunting target and tighten their grip on the match.
With form and fitness on display from both seasoned and emerging pacers, this Duleep Trophy clash is shaping up as a crucial stepping stone ahead of India’s Asia Cup campaign.
