East Zone ended a 13-year wait for the Duleep Trophy title with a commanding victory over South Zone in the 2026 final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The triumph sparked jubilant celebrations, with captain Ishan Kishan and 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi among those dancing on the field with stumps in hand. The final stretched across five days, but East Zone maintained control for much of the contest after posting a mammoth 708 in their first innings. Kishan produced the standout performance with a sensational 270, while Kumar Kushagra added 101 and Shikhar Mohan contributed 85 to put East Zone in a commanding position.
South Zone struggled to match that batting effort and were bowled out for 336. Tilak Varma led the resistance with a determined 99, while Devdutt Padikkal scored 62. However, East Zone’s bowling attack kept making crucial breakthroughs to secure a massive 372-run first-innings advantage. Mukesh Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 62 runs, while Mohammed Shami returned impressive figures of 2/42. Md Kounain Quraishi also claimed two wickets and played an important all-round role for the champions.
With such a substantial lead, East Zone were firmly in control. They continued to pile on the pressure in their second innings, reaching 388/7 before declaring during the second session on Day 5. The declaration effectively ended South Zone’s hopes of forcing a turnaround, allowing East Zone to secure the title on the basis of their first-innings lead.
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The South Zone bowlers endured a demanding workload throughout the match. They bowled 163 overs in East Zone’s first innings before sending down another 99.2 overs in the second. Mohammed Siraj continued to shoulder a significant portion of the workload, including a nine-over spell on the final day. Kishan once again made an impact in the second innings, scoring a fluent 80 off 98 balls. His combined tally of 350 runs for the match made him the defining batter of the final and highlighted his strong red-ball credentials.
The East Zone captain’s performance could also strengthen his case for a return to India’s Test setup. Having already demonstrated his ability to produce big scores in first-class cricket, Kishan’s 270 in the first innings provided the foundation for East Zone’s dominant position. Quraishi also enjoyed a memorable outing. After contributing with the ball, he registered his maiden first-class century in the second innings. The youngster remained unbeaten on 116 off 189 deliveries, hitting 13 fours and four sixes.
Handshakes in the middle to conclude a fantastic Final 🤝
East Zone clinch the #DuleepTrophy 2026 title by virtue of first-innings lead 🏆#EZvSZ pic.twitter.com/4DJjNHkAHD
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 10, 2026
Maiden FC century for Md Kounain Quraishi 💯👏
A moment he will remember for a long time 🤩#DuleepTrophy | #EZvSZ pic.twitter.com/xrkQo4NIfj
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 10, 2026
Quraishi combined with Anukul Roy for a crucial 150-run partnership, with Roy contributing 64. Their stand helped East Zone stretch their overall advantage beyond 700 before Kishan called his batters back. For Sooryavanshi, the final represented another landmark in a rapidly developing career. The 15-year-old, who served as East Zone’s vice-captain, scored 44 off 37 balls in the first innings and helped Abhimanyu Easwaran establish a 100-run opening partnership.
His influence was not limited to batting. Sooryavanshi successfully convinced Kishan to review a caught-behind appeal involving Ricky Bhui, with UltraEdge confirming the edge. Another review involving Padikkal, however, did not go East Zone’s way. Sooryavanshi’s enthusiasm was again visible after the declaration, when he joined Kishan in the celebrations while holding a stump.
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East Zone’s title triumph was ultimately built on contributions from across the team. Kishan’s double impact with the bat, Quraishi’s all-round performance, Mukesh’s wickets and Shami’s disciplined spell combined to keep South Zone under pressure throughout the final. After 13 years, East Zone finally had their hands on the Duleep Trophy again. Their dominant performance in Chennai ensured that the championship was never seriously in doubt after the massive 708-run first innings.
