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Riyan Parag Fights Lone Battle With Brilliant 95 As South Zone Clinch Deodhar Trophy

image-lkvfrya3Mayank Agarwal led South Zone won the Deodhar Trophy 2023 (Twitter)

South Zone's collective effort saw them win their ninth Deodhar Trophy title as they beat East Zone by 45 runs on Thursday in Puducherry. However, it was East Zone all-rounder, Riyan Parag whose heroics became a talking point after the high-voltage game.



Parag's splendid 95 was overshadowed by South Zone's win

Led by an opening blitz from Rohan Kunnummal, who scored a whirlwind century off 75 balls, and fifties by captain Mayank Agarwal and N Jagadeesan, South Zone scored 328/8 in their 50 overs. Notably, the opening duo of Kunnummal and Agarwal added 181 runs, paving the way for a massive score.

However, the story of the day was Parag's thrilling counterattack. East Zone's top order crumbled to 75 for four after 16 overs, but Parag, showing maturity beyond his years, played an innings of sheer brilliance.

Scoring a stunning 95 runs off 65 balls, with a variety of strokes including eight fours and five sixes, he infused life into a seemingly doomed chase and nearly scored his third century of the competition. 

Together with Kumar Kushagra, Parag stitched a fighting 105-run partnership for the sixth wicket, resurrecting East Zone's dwindling innings and momentarily threatening to snatch the game away.

However, Parag’s dismissal in the 38th over courtesy of Washington Sundar's clever bowling, proved to be a vital point as it shifted the momentum irreversibly towards South Zone. Kushagra's battling 68 from 58 balls could not prevent the inevitable, as East Zone was bowled out for 283 runs in 46.1 overs.

Notably, South Zone's victory is more than just another title. Coming on the back of their recent win in the Duleep Trophy 2023 final against West Zone, and after dominating all their five league matches, they proved themselves as a brute force in the domestic circuit with this win.

Meanwhile, despite South Zone’s win, it was Parag's individual brilliance that became the talk of the town. 

The Assam-based cricketer was named Player of the Series as he finished the tournament as the highest run-getter with 354 runs in 5 matches at a staggering average of 88.50 and 11 wickets to his name. Although East Zone fell short, Parag's exploits will live on as the defining story of Deodhar Trophy 2023