South Zone beat East Zone in a thrilling high-scoring final of the 2023 Deodhar Trophy on August 3. Here is the Wisden Team of the Tournament for the 2023 Deodhar Trophy.
The 50-over zonal domestic competition came to an end on Thursday (August 3), with South Zone defeating East Zone by 45 runs at the final at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground.
Several players had memorable tournaments, some expected and some not-so-expected. The Team of the Tournament has six players from the winning side, two from the runners-up, two from West Zone, and one from Central Zone.
Mayank Agarwal (South Zone)
341 runs @ 68.20, SR: 85.25, 4 fifties
The South Zone captain finished as the second-highest run-getter, only behind East Zone’s Riyan Parag. He went past fifty in four out of six innings including the final, where he scored a patient 63 off 83 balls to lay the platform for a big total. He had also been the third-highest run-scorer in the Duleep Trophy, the zonal first-class competition, last month.
Rohan Kunnummal (South Zone)
311 runs @ 62.20, SR: 123.90, 1 hundred, 2 fifties
The Kerala opener finished as the third-highest run-scorer in the 2023 Deodhar Trophy. He went past fifty thrice, saving his best for the last. In the final, he struck 107 off 75 balls to propel South Zone to a 320-plus total, which, in the end, proved to be enough.
Sai Sudharsan (South Zone)
204 runs @ 102, SR: 91.47, 1 hundred, 1 fifty
Sai Sudharshan played only three games and managed to score a century and a half-century in that, continuing his form from the Emerging Teams Asia Cup. His highest score came in South Zone’s last league game, where he scored an unbeaten 132 off 136 balls to anchor a chase of 262.
Yash Dubey (Central Zone)
293 runs @ 58.60, SR: 75.32, 3 fifties
Madhya Pradesh’s Yash Dubey had a productive Deodhar Trophy, scoring nearly 300 runs including three half-centuries while batting in the top order. He got consistent starts, with his lowest score being 17 in the first match against East Zone. In the last four league games for Central Zone, he scored three seventies and a 49.
Riyan Parag (East Zone)
354 runs @ 88.50, SR: 136.67, 2 hundreds, 1 fifty
11 wickets @ 19.09, ER: 4.84, 2 four-fors
Parag had a breakthrough tournament, reaching extreme heights with both bat and ball. He consistently bailed East Zone out of trouble after coming to bat in the lower middle order, and finished as the highest scorer and the only batter to hit more than one century. His 95 off 65 balls threatened to take the game away from South Zone in the final after the East Zone top-order had collapsed, but it wasn’t to be. Parag also bowled regularly and took 11 wickets, the third-most by any bowler in the tournament. He was rightly adjudged Player of the Series.
Kumar Kushagra (East Zone)
227 runs @ 56.75, SR: 109.13, 3 fifties
The young 18-year-old Jharkhand wicketkeeper struck three fifties from five innings, including a 58-ball 68 in the final where he almost pulled off a heist with Riyan. Against North Zone, he narrowly missed out on his hundred as he was dismissed for 98 off 87 balls after having come into bat at 57-5.
Washington Sundar (South Zone)
63 runs @ 21, SR: 64.28, 0 fifties
8 wickets @ 26.12, ER: 4.09, 0 four-for
Sundar had a better tournament with the ball than he had with the bat. He was economical, except in the final, where he made up by picking three wickets, including the game-changing ones of Parag and Kushagra. With the bat, his only real contribution came in the game against Central Zone where he scored 43 not out off 58 balls to see a run-chase of 262 through while batting at No.5.
Atit Sheth (West Zone)
111 runs @ 55.50, SR: 89.51, 1 fifty
4 wickets @ 45.25, ER: 4.76, 0 four-for
The Baroda seam-bowling all-rounder had decent outings with both bat and ball. His match-winning 53 not out off 53 balls took West Zone to a thrilling victory against Central Zone as he batted with the tail. He picked only four wickets, but was tidy throughout, as his economy rate of 4.76 suggest.
Shams Mulani (West Zone)
12 wickets @ 16.25, ER: 3.90, 0 four-for
The left-arm spinner from Mumbai was the joint second-highest wicket-taker. His economy rate of 3.90 was the best among the top four wicket-takers. He picked two or more wickets in every game, with his best figures coming against North Zone where he took 3-29.
Vidwath Kaverappa (South Zone)
13 wickets @ 14.53, ER: 4.70, 1 four-for
After being the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2023 Duleep Trophy, the Karnataka seamer was the highest wicket-taker in Deodhar as well. He picked at least one wicket in every game, including a 5-17 in the first league match against North Zone.
Vasuki Koushik (South Zone)
9 wickets @ 14.55, ER: 3.74, 0 four-for
Koushik, another Karnataka seamer, makes it to the XI just above North Zone’s Mayank Yadav, who picked 12 wickets. What worked in Koushik’s favour was that his wickets came at an unbelievable economy rate of 3.74, implying he was almost impossible to get away with for batters throughout the tournament. His best figures were 3-37 which came against East Zone.
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