Bengaluru: The 2026-27 domestic season is barely underway, but the old North-South rivalry is already adding spice to the Duleep Trophy. North Zone and South Zone will renew their contest in the semifinals at the BCCI Centre of Excellence here from Sunday, with youth and experience on both sides making for an intriguing battle.North bring the exuberance of youth, with the likes of Ayush Doseja keen to build on early promise. South, runners-up in the last edition, have a blend of emerging talent and established names, with Karnataka youngster R Smaran joining the likes of Tilak Varma and Karun Nair.On paper, the contest could boil down to South’s formidable batting against North’s in-form bowling. Smaran, the leading run-scorer in last season’s Ranji Trophy with 950 runs, will be one of South’s key batters, while captain Tilak, Karun and Narayan Jagadeesan give the side considerable depth.When the two sides met in the previous edition, South had the upper hand, with Jagadeesan’s 197 helping them secure a sizeable first-innings lead before they eventually marched into the final.This time, however, South will have to contend with a North attack brimming with confidence. Left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq was instrumental in their quarterfinal win over West Zone, claiming nine wickets. If the surface offers turn, Mushtaq and Nishant Sindhu could pose a serious challenge to South’s batting.

Will Vaibhav make a statement?

For East Zone’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the other semifinal against defending champions Central Zone offers another opportunity to make a statement in red-ball cricket.The 15-year-old southpaw managed a single-digit score against Northeast Zone in the quarterfinal and will be eager to make a bigger contribution this time. Central, meanwhile, will be led by Rajat Patidar, setting up another strategic test for Sooryavanshi.