Chennai: Ishan Kishan produced a magnificent double century, smashing a brilliant 270 to power East Zone to a mammoth 708 and take complete control of the first innings before South Zone eventually managed to bowl them out on Day 2, Monday, 7th September, in the Duleep Trophy final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Day 2 resumed at 385/4, with the unbeaten pair of Ishan Kishan and Kumar Kushagra continuing their commanding batting display. Kushagra registered an excellent century, but the innings was dominated by Ishan Kishan, who produced a brilliant double century before retiring hurt after reaching 250. He later returned to the crease and scored a spectacular 270 off 334 balls, narrowly missing out on a triple century, while receiving crucial support from the lower order as East Zone surged past the 700-run mark before South Zone eventually bowled them out for 708 in 163 overs, setting a daunting total for South Zone to chase.
Resuming Day 2, the unbeaten pair of Ishan Kishan and Kumar Kushagra continued their outstanding batting display, adding another 85 runs to their unbeaten stand to take their stunning fifth-wicket partnership to 230 runs off 290 balls. Kumar Kushagra played a fantastic knock and brought up his sixth first-class century, scoring 101 off 132 balls with eight fours and five sixes. However, his impressive innings came to an end when Tripurana Vijay dismissed him, providing a crucial breakthrough for South Zone. East Zone went into lunch at 491/5. After lunch, Ishan Kishan stitched together another impressive 140-run partnership off 181 balls with Anukul Roy. Kishan played a phenomenal innings, showcasing his batting ability with authority while taking on the spinners with attacking intent. He successfully brought up an electrifying double century off 270 balls, hitting four sixes, and registered his second first-class double century. He went on to complete a memorable double century, becoming only the fifth batter in Duleep Trophy history to score 200 or more runs in a final. With this achievement, Kishan joined an elite group of four other batters who have scored double centuries in a Duleep Trophy final. The list includes Raman Lamba, who scored 320 against West Zone in 1987-88; Anshuman Gaekwad, who made 216 against North Zone in 1987-88; Cheteshwar Pujara, who remained unbeaten on 256 against India Red in 2016-17; and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 209 against South Zone in 2022-23. Kishan joined this illustrious list with his remarkable 250 before retiring hurt against South Zone in 2026. After completing his double century, Kishan added another 50 runs off just 31 balls before retiring hurt after reaching 250. MD Kounain Quraishi came in and joined Anukul Roy at the crease. South Zone claimed a wicket in the second session as Shaik Rasheed dismissed Anukul Roy for 45 off 98 balls, with East Zone going into tea at 626/6. Then, Mohammed Shami (28 off 51) and Quraishi (40 off 91) put together a valuable 54-run partnership off 98 balls for the seventh wicket. It was East Zone’s fifth 50-plus partnership of the first innings. However, the partnership was eventually broken when Shreyas Gopal dismissed Shami early in the final session. Ishan Kishan returned to the crease and completed a magnificent 270 off 334 balls, narrowly missing out on a historic triple century, before Tripurana Vijay finally brought his remarkable innings to an end. Kishan’s 270 also placed him among the highest individual scorers in a Duleep Trophy final. The list is led by Raman Lamba, who scored 320 for North Zone against West Zone in 1987-88, followed by Kishan’s 270 for East Zone against South Zone in 2026. Yashasvi Jaiswal is third with 265 for West Zone against South Zone in 2022-23, while Cheteshwar Pujara scored an unbeaten 256 for Blue against Red in 2016-17. Anshuman Gaekwad made an unbeaten 216 for West Zone against North Zone in 1987-88, while Yusuf Pathan scored an unbeaten 210 for West Zone against South Zone in 2010. His innings proved to be the highlight of East Zone’s dominant batting display. South Zone then claimed another wicket, with Mukesh Kumar eventually dismissed as East Zone were bowled out for a massive 708 in 163 overs. South Zone’s bowling fightback remained limited on the second day, as they struggled to build sustained pressure and were unable to stop East Zone from posting a jaw-dropping total. Tripurana Vijay led the attack impressively with 4/180, while Chama Milind and Shreyas Gopal claimed two wickets each. Mohammed Siraj, meanwhile, went wicketless.
In the Duleep Trophy finals, East Zone’s 708 against South Zone in the 2026 final stands as the fourth-highest team total in tournament history. The three higher scores are North Zone’s 868 against West Zone in 1987, South Zone’s 740 against West Zone in 1986, and North Zone’s 729/9 declared against West Zone in 1991. Now, South Zone will need a strong start to recover from the setback, while East Zone will look to maintain their momentum, strike early, and put further pressure on their opponents.
