South Zone batter Devdutt Padikkal was left visibly frustrated after throwing away a promising innings during Day 3 of the Duleep Trophy 2026 final against East Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Tuesday. Padikkal, who appeared well placed to score a century, was dismissed for a well-made 62 off 104 balls.
The dismissal came in the 36th over shortly after East Zone brought Mukesh Kumar back into the attack. The seamer bowled a full delivery on middle and leg, prompting Padikkal to attempt an aerial flick towards the leg side. However, the left-hander failed to spot the fielder stationed in the deep.
The ball went straight towards deep square leg, where substitute fielder Denish Das moved forward and completed a sharp low catch. Padikkal immediately realised his mistake and stood in disbelief, placing both hands over his helmet before slowly making his way back to the pavilion.
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It was another important moment for East Zone, who had already struck through Mohammad Shami a couple of overs earlier. The experienced pacer dismissed Shaik Rasheed to end the 56-run partnership he had shared with Padikkal.
Shami-Mukesh combo strikes 🤝
The pace bowling duo dismiss set batters Shaik Rasheed and Devdutt Padikkal and breaks 56-run stand 🙌
South Zone are 134/4, trail by 574 runs.
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/BhTkGWeeoD#DuleepTrophy | #EZvSZ pic.twitter.com/NAvgCYBdkA
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 8, 2026
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Padikkal’s wicket further weakened South Zone’s resistance as they attempted to respond to East Zone’s mammoth first-innings total of 708. The batter had entered the Duleep Trophy final in excellent form after scoring two Test centuries against Sri Lanka. His presence had provided stability alongside Narayan Jagadeesan and Rasheed, making his dismissal a significant setback.
South Zone were reduced to 129/4 following Padikkal’s departure, allowing East Zone to strengthen their grip on the contest.
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East Zone had earlier posted 708 all out in 163 overs after opting to bat first. Captain Ishan Kishan led the charge with a spectacular 270 off 334 balls and shared a crucial 230-run fifth-wicket partnership with Kumar Kushagra, who scored 101 from 132 deliveries.
Although South Zone spinner Tripurana Vijay finished with impressive figures of 4/180, East Zone’s batters dominated on a flat surface and put their side in a commanding position in the Duleep Trophy final.
