The 2025-26 domestic season began with the Duleep Trophy, in which Vidarbha’s youthful batting sensation Danish Malewar astounded everyone with his hitting abilities. The 21-year-old scored a dominant 203 for Central Zone versus North East Zone before retiring, demonstrating his dominance in red-ball cricket at such a young age.
Malewar has advanced rapidly after making his first-class debut in late 2024. He scored a spectacular 783 runs in his debut Ranji season, including a critical 153 in the final against Kerala, which clinched Vidarbha’s third Ranji Trophy championship.
He scored the third-most runs for Vidarbha that season, after only Yash Rathod and Karun Nair. In addition, he is the first Vidarbha centurion in Duleep Trophy history.
His breakthrough performances occurred during the 2024 Ranji Trophy knockout stages. Malewar scored a valiant 79 against Mumbai in the semifinals before taking part in the summit encounter against Kerala. He concluded the season with a 52.20 average and was the fifth-highest run scorer.
Batting at No. 3, the Nagpur native is more akin to Rahul Dravid and Cheteshwar Pujara due to his calm demeanor and ability to grind down bowlers. In only ten first-class matches, he has five fifty-plus scores, converted several scores into centuries, and has an outstanding 65.40 average. However, the youngster’s journey has not been simple because he comes from a lower-middle-class home.
“My father always wanted me to be a cricketer and I got into an academy when I was seven. He faced a lot of difficulties but ensured that my cricketing needs were taken care of. There were people who used to give me bats, pads and gloves when I made runs during my junior days. Money only started coming in post my under- 19 days,” Malewar had told Indian Express.
Malewar came in early and anchored the innings with remarkable maturity. He first stitched together a 144-run stand with Aryan Juyal before the wicketkeeper-batter was retired hurt on 60. He then built a massive 199-run partnership with skipper Rajat Patidar, who hammered 125 off just 96 balls.
Malewar’s superb double century highlighted his ability to play long innings but also reinforced his growing stature in India’s domestic circuit. As stalwarts like Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli have now retired from Tests, the BCCI selectors will be keeping a close eye on him for the crucial No. 3 batting position in red-ball internationals. With consistent performances and a strong 2025-26 season, a call-up to the Indian Test setup may not be too far.
India
