Chennai: East Zone ended a 13-year wait for Duleep Trophy glory, lifting the 2026 title on first-innings lead after their final against South Zone ended in a draw at Chepauk on September 10.
Kishan’s Marathon Headlines Final
Captain Ishan Kishan produced the defining innings of the tournament, smashing 270 off 334 balls with 30 fours and seven sixes as East Zone piled up a mammoth 708 in their first innings. It was a statement knock from a player pushing hard for a Test recall, and it effectively decided the final on day one.
Kumar Kushagra provided excellent support with 101, while Abhimanyu Easwaran (72) and Shikhar Mohan (85) chipped in. For South Zone, Tripurana Vijay toiled for 4/180.
South Zone Fall Short Again
South Zone were bowled out for 336 in reply, with Tilak Varma narrowly missing a century on 99 and Devdutt Padikkal making 62. Mukesh Kumar led East Zone’s attack with 3/62, supported by Mohammed Shami and Md Kounain Quraishi with two wickets apiece.
East Zone then declared their second innings on 388/7, Quraishi remaining unbeaten on 116, leaving South Zone with no realistic path back into the contest. It was South Zone’s second successive final defeat, having lost the 2025-26 decider to Central Zone.
Tournament Honours
Kishan finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 409 runs from three games, including a century and a fifty, and struck the most sixes (11). Mukesh Kumar topped the wicket charts with 12 scalps. East Zone’s 708 was the highest team total of the competition, while Abhijit Sarkar’s 5/20 stood as the best bowling figures.
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was part of the triumphant East Zone squad, scoring 44 in the final’s first innings — another chapter in the teenager’s remarkable rise.
What It Means
The Duleep Trophy, back in its zonal format and played entirely at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru before the final, served its purpose as a red-ball audition ahead of a packed Test calendar. Kishan’s form, in particular, will have given the national selectors plenty to think about.
Pathway to the Top
The domestic season’s importance has grown with the WPL’s expansion. Every match is scouted, every breakthrough noted. The 2026-27 season will also serve as preparation for India’s next international assignments, with the selectors using domestic form as a key criterion.
Young players like Deeya Yadav represent the future — teenagers already dominating age-group cricket and knocking on the senior door. The system is producing talent at an unprecedented rate.
