East Zone claimed the 2026 Duleep Trophy title under the leadership of Ishan Kishan, securing victory through a commanding first-innings lead over South Zone. The outcome was effectively decided by the end of the fourth day, with East Zone holding a massive 584-run advantage at 212/5. Rather than declaring overnight, the team opted to continue batting on the final day to further solidify their position.
Despite overcast conditions providing some movement for the South Zone pacers, Md Kounain Quraishi anchored the innings from the number seven position. Kumar Kushagra, who had scored a century in the first innings, added only 12 runs before falling. Quraishi found a steady partner in Anukul Roy, and the pair successfully navigated the morning session. By lunch, both were set, with Quraishi unbeaten on 76 and Roy on 37, having already exhausted South Zone’s available reviews by the 76th over.
The duo continued their momentum after the break, with Roy reaching a half-century and Quraishi securing his maiden first-class century. The latter celebrated the milestone by hitting consecutive sixes off Tripurana Vijay, pushing the overall lead beyond 750 runs. Their 150-run partnership was eventually broken in the 99th over when Roy was dismissed, prompting Kishan to declare the innings at 388/7. This victory marks East Zone’s third Duleep Trophy title and extends Kishan’s unbeaten streak as a first-class captain to 16 matches.
Ishan Kishan was named Player of the Match for his total of 350 runs, the highest aggregate in a Duleep Trophy game. Reflecting on his performance, Kishan described his time away from the national team as a period of personal transformation, noting that he has become a calmer, more situationally aware leader. Meanwhile, South Zone captain Tilak Varma, who was awarded Player of the Series, expressed regret over his team’s poor opening-day performance, which allowed East Zone to post a massive 708-run first-innings total.
The match concluded in a draw, with East Zone winning on the basis of their first-innings lead. Final scores: East Zone 708 (Ishan Kishan 270, Kumar Kushagra 101; Tripurana Vijay 4-180) and 388/7 (Md Kounain Quraishi 116*, Ishan Kishan 80; MD Nidheesh 2-28) drew with South Zone 336 (Tilak Varma 99, Devdutt Padikkal 62; Mukesh Kumar 3-62). The report also notes that when East Zone went to stumps on 212/5, a mammoth 584 runs ahead, the writing was already on the wall at the end of the fourth day itself. The report also notes that but Md Kounain Quraishi, at No.7, held one end to ensure there was no sudden collapse, mohammed Siraj hit the right notes. The report also notes that desperate for a breakthrough, South Zone burnt all their reviews by the 76th over, and by Lunch, both Quraishi and Roy had settled in for the long haul, unbeaten on 76* and 37* respectively. The report also notes that but it did little to deter them, spin was pressed into action after the break.
