East Zone ends 13-year Duleep Trophy drought after dominant final against South Zone

East Zone ended a 13-year wait for the Duleep Trophy title after their dominant performance against South Zone earned them the crown on the basis of a massive first-innings lead as the five-day final ended in a draw at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.

East Zone had effectively put the contest beyond South Zone by amassing 708 in their first innings and then bowling their opponents out for 336, securing a decisive 372-run advantage. With the competition rules awarding the trophy to the team holding the first-innings lead if the final ends in a draw, South Zone faced an almost impossible task heading into the closing stages. East eventually reached 388/7 in their second innings before the teams settled for a draw, confirming the title for Ishan Kishan’s side.

Kishan dominates final

Captain Kishan was the central figure in East Zone’s triumph, producing a marathon 270 in the first innings. His 334-ball knock, studded with 30 fours and seven sixes, provided the foundation for the imposing 708. Kumar Kushagra contributed 101, while Anukul Roy also played an important supporting role as East kept South Zone in the field for 163 overs.

South Zone’s response never seriously threatened East’s total despite captain Tilak Varma’s determined 99. Chama Milind added a useful 43 down the order, but South were dismissed for 336. Mukesh Kumar claimed three wickets, while East’s attack ensured the enormous first-innings total translated into the advantage that ultimately decided the championship.

Kishan continued his outstanding match in the second innings, scoring 80 off 98 balls after East had slipped to 13/2. Shikhar Mohan contributed 52 before Kounain Quraishi took charge of proceedings on the final day.

Quraishi ton closes out title

With the result virtually settled, Quraishi completed an unbeaten 116 as East Zone stretched their overall advantage beyond South Zone’s reach. Anukul Roy contributed 64 as East reached 388/7 before the match was brought to a tame conclusion.

Kishan finished the final with an extraordinary aggregate of 350 runs across the two innings, underlining his pivotal role in East Zone’s campaign. The victory gave East Zone their third Duleep Trophy crown, following their back-to-back triumphs in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.

The title also capped a commanding campaign in which East Zone successfully combined established players such as Kishan and Mohammed Shami with emerging talent including 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. For South Zone, Tilak’s 99 remained the standout performance in a final that East had largely controlled from the moment their first-innings total crossed 700.