In an attempt to evaluate relationship between root zone water status and leaf water potential under varying depth of root zone, root of clay loam field grown maize and cotton crops were restricted to 30 and 60 cm depths by laying down a plastic sheet at those depths. Plots were irrigated as per requirements for maintaining high and low water status in root zone. While soil water matric potential (&psim) within the root zone was monitored by installing mercury manometer tensiometers, thermocouple psychrometer was used for measuring leaf water potential (&psil). Results showed that irrespective of depth of root zone, similar values of weighted soil water matric potential (W&psim) resulted in similar values of leaf water potential (&psil) both in maize as well as cotton. For example, when the W&psim values within 30 and 60 cm root zone were, respectively -35.8 and -34.6 KPa, the corresponding maize leaf water potential values were found to be 0.97 and 0.99 MPa. Similarly in cotton, W&psim values of -32.1 and -32.3 KPa, respectively for 30 and 60 cm root zone depths resulted in corresponding &psi1 values of -1.49 and -1.56 MPa. W&psim values of -71.7 and - 70.2 KPa showed the corresponding cotton &psi1 values of -1.82 and -1.77 MPa respectively. Comparision between high and low W&psim within the same root zone depth showed that &psil decreased with decrease in W&psim. In cotton plots with a 30 cm root zone W&psim values of -31.3 and -71.7 KPa showed &psil values of 1.17 and 1.82 MPa respectively. Also there was a significant linear relationship between W&psim and &psil for maize (p < 0.01) and cotton (p < 0.05) separately as well as when values of both crops were pooled (p < 0.05) together. Plants of both crops with unrestricted rooting depth however, maintained higher &psil than those with restricted rooting depth. It may thus be inferred that in shallow soils, if the soil water matric potential within the root zone is kept at an appropriate level, restriction of root zone depth within the range of 30 and 60 cm is unlikely to affect the crop adversely.