Duleep Trophy final: East Zone on verge of title, need 4 more wickets

East Zone are on the verge of winning the Duleep Trophy, needing just four more South Zone wickets in the final at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

East Zone’s first innings of 708 was built on Ishan Kishan’s career-best 270 and a century from Kumar Kushagra, dwarfing South Zone’s reply of 336.

South Zone captain Tilak Varma scored 99, agonisingly missing out on a century, with Chama Milind chipping in 43 as Mohammed Shami took 2 for 17.

East Zone chose not to enforce the follow-on despite their 372-run lead, batting again to reach 212 for 5, with Kishan unbeaten on 48 in an 82-run partnership with Shikhar Mohan.

With the final being decided on first-innings lead, East Zone need only four more wickets to be crowned champions.

South Zone’s reply of 336 featured a fighting 99 from captain Tilak Varma, who fell agonisingly short of a century, and 43 from Chama Milind.

Mohammed Shami’s 2 for 17 was among the most economical bowling spells of South Zone’s attack during East Zone’s first innings.

East Zone’s decision not to enforce the follow-on, despite a 372-run first-innings lead, gave their bowlers additional rest before a potential final push for victory.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the teenage batting prospect who earned a maiden national T20 call-up earlier this year, was among East Zone’s top order in the second innings.

The final is being played at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, a venue with a long history of hosting high-profile domestic and international matches.

The Duleep Trophy is contested between India’s domestic cricket zones and is played under first-class conditions, serving as a proving ground for players aiming to break into the national side.

Ishan Kishan’s 270 in East Zone’s first innings is a career-best score and one of the highest individual totals recorded in the tournament’s history.

M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0