He hit 20 fours on his way to a hundred.
In the era of players finding a place in India’s setup across formats through the Indian Premier League (IPL), the 21-year-old Danish Malewar has taken a more traditional approach. The stylish right-hander set up the Duleep Trophy 2025 campaign opener on Thursday, smashing a 144-ball hundred against the North East Zone at BCCI CEG Ground B.
Put to bat first, Central Zone lost opener Aayush Pandey to Akash Kumar in the third over. Malewar, coming out to bat at no. 3, overcame a massive scare against the sensational spell from NEZ bowlers who kept tight lines and lengths in the first session. He, alongside Aryan Juyal, steadied the ship, building a strong 144-run partnership. The 21-year-old notched up his half-century with a boundary towards the straightish fine leg region. Juyal also moved to his seventh FC fifty before retiring hurt on 60, with Rajat Patidar replacing him at the crease. The Uttar Pradesh batter was seen limping in the 37th over after being hit on the abdomen guard.
Despite Juyal’s injury, Malewar didn’t lose his concentration and continued his impressive run. Malewar didn’t get excited much and played the way he knows best. The Vidarbha batter then raced to his hundred on his Duleep Trophy debut off 144 balls in the 53rd over. He hit 20 fours on his way to a hundred; that’s 80 runs in boundaries, as Malewar builds on what has been a solid mini-career so far.
Patidar, leading the side in Dhruv Jurel’s absence due to a groin niggle, came all guns blazing and smashed a 42-ball fifty. The Madhya Pradesh cricketer attempted three consecutive reverse sweeps and earned boundaries on all of them, moving to 94 within the blink of an eye. He quickly brought up his 14th first-class hundred that came off just 80 balls, with 18 fours and a couple of sixes. Out of his first 101 runs, 84 of them came in boundaries. With these two hundreds, the Central Zone were formidably placed at 314/1 with plenty of batting remaining. Their lineup also features Indian bowlers like Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, and Kuldeep Yadav.
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Not every cricketer is god-gifted. Malwar’s story is one of grit, grind, struggle, and a father’s dream that eventually turned to his as well. The quality that separates him from many is his ability to soak in pressure and thrive in crucial games, especially in the knockouts. While Malewar was instrumental in Vidarbha’s progress to the Ranji Trophy final, the 21-year-old has a bright future ahead if he continues to play similarly. Runs in the Duleep Trophy, which is more of a trial for ‘A’ team games, will keep selectors interested.
Though Malewar didn’t have much experience, the right-hand batter has displayed his magnificent skills and temperament in the limited opportunities he has got. Malewar made his first-class debut for Vidarbha last year. He immediately impressed with a second-innings 61 batting at number three, following it up with scores of 56, 42, and 59 in his next three innings. The right-hand batter then climbed one more step, smashing his maiden First Class hundred (115) against Gujarat at home in Nagpur.
Still awaiting his maiden call-up for the white-ball formats, the 21-year-old Malewar was in his element ever since the Ranji knockout stages. He registered 75 and a duck against Tamil Nadu in the quarterfinal. He further made valuable contributions in the semi-final against 42-time champions Mumbai (79 and 29). The Vidarbha batter ended his Ranji Trophy 2024-25 with a whopping 783 runs in just nine appearances, averaging an impressive 52.20. This also included six fifties and a match-winning hundred against Kerala in the Ranji Trophy final at the VCA Stadium, Jamtha, in Nagpur.
Both the semi-finals are scheduled at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence ground from September 4. The all-important final will be played from September 11 at the same venue.
