The final of the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal One Day Trophy at the BCCI COE Ground 1 in Bengaluru produced a gripping contest as West Zone Women edged past Central Zone Women in a tense chase to clinch the title by three wickets. The match unfolded like a classic one-day final, with momentum swinging between both sides before a composed late partnership guided West Zone over the line in the closing stages.
Batting first, Central Zone began cautiously as captain and wicketkeeper Nuzhat Parween walked out to open alongside Varnika. The pair looked to settle early against a disciplined West Zone attack led by Pragya Rawat and Krutikaben. However, the opening stand was short-lived as Rawat struck in the seventh over to remove Parween for 12 off 20 balls, caught behind, leaving Central Zone at 15/1 in 6.2 overs. Despite the early setback, Varnika showed composure and started building the innings with Shipra Giri.
Varnika and Shipra steadied the innings with a patient 84-run partnership for the second wicket, focusing on strike rotation while punishing loose deliveries. Shipra contributed 30 off 55 balls with three boundaries before Radha Yadav broke the stand, having her caught by A A Patil at 99/2 in 24.4 overs. The very next over saw another crucial moment as Varnika, who had compiled a solid 55 off 74 balls with seven fours and a six, fell to Krutikaben at 99/3 in 25.1 overs, suddenly shifting momentum back toward West Zone.
Muskan Malik then walked in and played one of the most important knocks of the innings. She partnered with Minnu Mani to rebuild, but Mani could only manage 5 off 12 balls before Krutikaben struck again, leaving Central Zone at 115/4 in 29.6 overs. With the innings entering the middle-to-late phase, Muskan continued to hold one end firmly, rotating the strike and absorbing pressure from the West Zone bowlers.
The innings gained fresh impetus when Muskan Malik found an able partner in Pooja Vastrakar. The duo stitched together the highest partnership of the innings, adding 112 runs for the fifth wicket, a stand that shifted the momentum back in Central Zone’s favour. Muskan anchored the partnership with 54 off 66 balls, but she fell late in the innings to Pragya Rawat at 227/5 in 47.2 overs.
Vastrakar, however, continued her aggressive approach and smashed 72 off 63 balls, including five boundaries and two sixes, before being run out at 241/6 in 49.2 overs. Prema then provided a brief late flourish with 18 not out off 10 balls, helping Central Zone finish with a competitive 252/6 in their 50 overs.
West Zone’s bowlers delivered mixed but impactful performances. Pragya Rawat was the most successful with 2/38 in 7 overs, striking at crucial moments, while Krutikaben also claimed 2/49 in 9 overs. Radha Yadav chipped in with 1/43 from her 10 overs, and Zeal Dmello impressed with her economical spell of 0/30 in 10 overs. P N Khemnar also maintained pressure through a tidy 6-over spell conceding just 22 runs.
Chasing the challenging target, West Zone endured a shaky start as Central Zone struck early through K R Zanzad, who dismissed Humairaa Kaazi for 4, leaving the chasing side under early pressure. The situation worsened when Simran was bowled for 0 by S L Meena, and a run-out removed wicketkeeper Umeshvari Jethva, reducing West Zone to three wickets down with very few runs on the board.
The recovery began when P N Khemnar and Radha Yadav steadied the innings. Khemnar contributed a vital 48 off 63 balls, but her dismissal by Poonam Yadav added further tension to the chase. Radha Yadav then produced a brilliant counterattacking innings, scoring 92 off 90 balls with 10 boundaries, keeping West Zone firmly in the contest despite losing partners around her. However, her run-out near the end at a critical stage meant the match was still wide open.
The decisive moment came through an outstanding unbeaten partnership between S R Mane and Pragya Rawat. Mane played a superb finishing knock of 91 not out from 94 balls, striking eight boundaries and pacing the chase beautifully. Rawat supported her calmly with 6 not out, as the pair guided West Zone to 256/7 in 49.3 overs, completing a dramatic chase and sealing the championship.
Central Zone’s bowlers fought hard throughout the innings. Poonam Yadav led the attack with 3/42 in 10 overs, while K R Zanzad and S L Meena picked up a wicket each. SS Kalal bowled tightly with 0/53 in 10 overs, and Prema and Minnu Mani tried to contain the scoring during the middle overs.
In the end, it was West Zone’s resilience in the chase and the match-defining innings from S R Mane and Radha Yadav that made the difference, as they lifted the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal One Day Trophy after a thrilling final in Bengaluru.
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