Ishan Kishan Century Puts East Zone in Command Against South Zone in Duleep Trophy Final

East Zone made a commanding start to the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy final, reaching 385 for 4 at stumps against South Zone at Chepauk on the opening day.

Thirteen years after their last Duleep Trophy triumph at the same venue, East Zone took a major step towards reclaiming the title as almost their entire batting line-up made significant contributions.

Captain Ishan Kishan was the standout performer, remaining unbeaten on 111, while Kumar Kushagra was not out on 63. Earlier, Shikhar Mohan scored 85 and Abhimanyu Easwaran made 72.

Kishan's century was particularly significant. The left-hander, who has previously faced questions over his commitment to red-ball cricket, responded in emphatic fashion by registering his 10th first-class century and crossing the milestone of 4,000 first-class runs.

Easwaran leads the way at the top

East Zone's opening partnership laid the foundation for a dominant day.

Abhimanyu Easwaran, playing on his 31st birthday, produced one of his most assured red-ball innings in recent times. The Bengal opener combined classical strokeplay with strong back-foot play and repeatedly took on South Zone's pace attack.

Easwaran reached his half-century in just 46 balls, outscoring the explosive Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during their century opening stand.

Sooryavanshi began cautiously before gradually opening up. He entertained the Sunday crowd with a series of elegant drives through the off side and raced to 34 from 24 deliveries, including a sequence of 4, 6, 4 against Mohammed Siraj.

However, the young batter's innings ended when he attempted to attack a short delivery from CV Milind, picking out deep midwicket.

The dismissal slowed East Zone's scoring briefly and was followed by a costly mix-up between Easwaran and Shikhar Mohan. Easwaran pushed the ball towards point and initially responded to Mohan, but his partner turned back, leaving the opener stranded. Easwaran was run out for 72, narrowly missing what would have been his 28th first-class hundred.

Mohan impresses on Duleep Trophy debut

Mohan, brought into the XI in place of Virat Singh, made an immediate impact at No. 3.

The Jharkhand batter displayed excellent balance and composure against South Zone's fast bowlers before taking control of the innings. He was particularly effective against offspinner T Vijay, using his footwork and range of strokes to keep the pressure on the bowling side.

Mohan looked on course for his third first-class century when he chopped a delivery from left-arm seamer Milind onto his stumps for 85.

His dismissal left East Zone at 241 for 4, briefly giving South Zone an opening. But the opportunity disappeared almost immediately.

Kishan, Kushagra finish the day strongly

Captain Kishan and Kumar Kushagra combined to put South Zone's bowlers under relentless pressure.

The pair added an unbeaten 144 runs from only 26.4 overs, taking East Zone from 241 for 4 to 385 for 4 by the close.

Kushagra became the fourth East Zone batter to pass fifty, finishing unbeaten on 63, with four fours and five sixes.

Kishan, meanwhile, accelerated after reaching his half-century from 71 balls. He broke free by stepping down the track to launch Vijay over the boundary and quickly moved towards his century.

His unbeaten 111 not only gave East Zone complete control but also served as a strong statement about his renewed commitment to first-class cricket.

South Zone struggle with bowling and tactics

It was a difficult day for South Zone, both tactically and with the ball.

Only 79 overs were bowled during the day, with their slow over-rate adding to the pressure on the fielding side. Their tactical decisions also failed to contain East Zone's batters.

South Zone captain Tilak Varma spread the field early, placing four fielders on the boundary within the first five overs to restrict Sooryavanshi's attacking strokeplay. Later, exchanges between Varma and Sooryavanshi became heated enough for the umpires to intervene.

After tea, South Zone repeatedly opted for short-pitched bowling against Kishan and Kushagra. Rather than being unsettled, however, the East Zone batters took on the deliveries and continued collecting runs.

Siraj endured the toughest outing of the South Zone attack. Far from his best rhythm and lacking his usual pace, he finished the day with 0 for 96 in 14 overs.

With East Zone finishing the opening day at 385 for 4 and Kishan and Kushagra firmly established at the crease, South Zone face an uphill task on the second morning.

East Zone, meanwhile, have positioned themselves perfectly to build a huge first-innings total and strengthen their bid for a first Duleep Trophy title in 13 years.