Duleep Trophy Final 2026: Ishan Kishan had already put together one of the biggest knocks of the Duleep Trophy 2026 final. But the East Zone captain was not done yet.
During the second innings against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Kishan took on off-spinner Tripurana Vijay and smashed him for four consecutive boundaries: 4, 6, 6 and 4. The attack came in the 26th over of East Zone’s innings, just after Kishan had moved past his half-century.
Vijay, who represents the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, had already dismissed Kishan in the first innings. This time, however, the East Zone skipper turned the contest around in emphatic fashion. The four-ball burst produced 20 runs and helped East Zone stretch an already massive lead.
Kishan takes on Vijay after reaching fifty
Kishan did not begin his second innings in a hurry. With East Zone already in a commanding position, he initially focused on building a partnership with Shikhar Mohan. East Zone had taken a 372-run first-innings lead after South Zone were bowled out for 336. Instead of forcing a result by declaring immediately, Kishan returned to the crease and looked to add more pressure.
He and Mohan put together 146 runs for the third wicket. Kishan reached his fifty and then began taking more chances against the spinners. Vijay was one bowler Kishan clearly wanted to attack. He had already hit the off-spinner for a six earlier in the innings. Then came the 25th over of the spell, where Kishan completely took control.
The first ball was pulled through the leg side for four after Vijay dropped it short. Kishan then came down the pitch to the next delivery and cleared long-off for six. He followed that with another six, this time making room and hitting inside-out over extra cover. The fourth ball was again short, and Kishan smashed the pull past square leg for another boundary. Four balls. Twenty runs. It was a small passage of play, but it summed up Kishan’s approach throughout the final.
From 270 to another quick 80
The 4, 6, 6, 4 sequence was only one part of Kishan’s remarkable final. In the first innings, the left-hander produced a career-defining 270 from 334 balls. His innings contained 30 fours and seven sixes and helped East Zone reach 708, their highest total in the tournament. He also became the first East Zone captain and wicketkeeper to score a double century in the Duleep Trophy.
Kumar Kushagra added 101, while other batters also made useful contributions. But Kishan’s long stay at the crease was the main reason East Zone were able to build such a huge total.
South Zone could only manage 336 in reply. Captain Tilak Varma top-scored with 99, while Devdutt Padikkal made 62. The 372-run deficit left South with a mountain to climb.
Kishan then came out again and produced another aggressive innings. He scored 80 from 98 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes. He was eventually dismissed by MD Nidheesh after trying to loft the pacer and picking out Devdutt Padikkal. That second-innings 80 took Kishan’s match aggregate to 350 runs.
East Zone complete a 13-year wait
Kishan’s batting gave East Zone control of the final, but the team still needed to finish the job. After Kishan’s dismissal, East Zone continued batting and eventually declared on 388/7, with Md Kounain Quraishi unbeaten on 116. Their overall lead had reached 744 runs.
South Zone were left with no realistic chance of chasing the target, and the match ended in a draw. However, the first-innings lead was enough for East Zone to claim the trophy.
With their 372-run advantage from the first innings, East Zone were declared winners of the Duleep Trophy. It was their first title in 13 years, following their previous triumphs in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
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Kishan’s final to remember
The Duleep Trophy final belonged to Ishan Kishan. He scored 270 in the first innings, followed it with 80 in the second, and finished with 350 runs in the match. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The four-ball assault on Tripurana Vijay will stand out as one of the most entertaining moments of the final. It showed the same attacking instinct that had carried Kishan to his double century earlier in the match.
More importantly, his runs came when East Zone needed to keep South Zone under pressure. Kishan led from the front with the bat, and East Zone finally ended their long wait for the Duleep Trophy. The final may have ended without a result on the field, but there was little doubt about which team had done enough to lift the trophy.
