With tournaments like Champions League T20 nudging Duleep Trophy towards the margins of India's domestic calendar, the once-popular event is facing an identity crisis

Overnight rain ruined the outfield at Nehru stadium in Kochi forcing the fourth day of the Duleep Trophy final between North Zone and South Zone to be abandoned without a ball being bowled

Gautam Gambhir opted out from the North Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone after complaining of fever on the second day and left for Delhi just before the start of play

Duleep Trophy, the forgotten tournament that is often played in the background, has got a shot in the arm with Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir joining the North Zone team for the final to be played in Kochi from Thursday onwards.

Shahbaz Nadeem, the East Zone captain, said there was nothing his side could do when North Zone won their Duleep Trophy semi-final on the basis of a coin toss

North Zone won a coin toss to qualify for the Duleep Trophy final, after their semi-final against East Zone was called off without either team securing a first-innings lead due to a wet outfield

North Zone lead East Zone by 559 runs in the first semi-final of the Duleep Trophy thanks to four of their batsmen scoring centuries.

Pragyan Ojha led South Zone into the final of the Duleep trophy after his six-wicket haul downed Central Zone by an innings and 38 runs in Chennai

Unmukt Chand hit his third first-class hundred in the Duleep Trophy semi-final as North Zone reached 329 for 2 on the second day against East Zone