East Zone wins Duleep Trophy after 13 years

Chennai, Sept 11:

East Zone ended a 13-year wait for the Duleep Trophy after their dominant performance against South Zone in the 2026-27 final ended in a draw at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.

East Zone secured the title on the basis of their massive first-innings lead after piling up 708 runs. They added 388 for seven in their second innings before the match ended at 2.10 pm, taking their overall lead to 760 runs.

South Zone were unable to match East’s batting performance and were bowled out for a total that left them 372 runs behind in the first innings. With the Duleep Trophy awarded on the basis of the first-innings lead in a drawn final, East had done enough to secure the title well before the scheduled conclusion of the match.

Mohammad Kounain Quraishi was one of the highlights of East Zone’s second innings. He remained unbeaten on 116, recording his maiden first-class century in only his second first-class match. He shared a 150-run seventh-wicket partnership with Anukul Roy, who scored 64.

East Zone captain Ishan Kishan was the standout performer with the bat. He smashed a magnificent 270 in the first innings, underlining his readiness for red-ball cricket and providing the foundation for East’s huge total.

Kishan was also impressive as captain, showing clear tactical awareness throughout the contest. His approach was straightforward: East needed to take all 10 South Zone wickets and secure a substantial first-innings advantage. Once that objective was achieved, the team was in control of the final.

Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami also made his mark in his 100th first-class match, producing an energetic performance despite being one of the senior members of the side. Kumar Kushagra contributed a sixth first-class century, while Jharkhand batter Shikhar Mohan added a composed half-century.

South Zone struggled to make an impact with both bat and ball. Mohammed Siraj showed pace and intensity for brief spells, but lacked sufficient support from the other bowlers. The South selection also came under scrutiny, with in-form players such as Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal and Sai Kishore left out.

East Zone’s victory brought an end to a long wait for the prestigious domestic trophy. While the drawn final raised questions about whether a five-day knockout match should be decided by the first-innings lead, East’s overwhelming performance across the contest left little doubt about their superiority.