Duleep Trophy 2026 Final: Ishan Kishan-led East Zone strengthened their grip on the Duleep Trophy 2026 final as they extended their overall lead to 584 runs heading into the final day of the first-class contest. Kishan followed up his marathon 270 in the first innings with a composed 80 in the second, putting East Zone firmly in control against South Zone on Day 5.
South Zone resumed their innings on Day 4 with a huge 466-run deficit, with captain Tilak Varma the last recognised batter at the crease. Resuming on 63, Tilak battled hard and moved to 99, but missed out on a well-deserved century after an aggressive shot gave Md Kounain Quraishi a caught-and-bowled chance.
Tilak’s dismissal left South Zone all out for 336, giving East Zone a massive first-innings lead and putting them in a commanding position.
East Zone then returned to bat but lost both openers cheaply. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dismissed for 8, while Abhimanyu Easwaran fell for 3, failing to repeat their strong performances from the first innings.
However, Shikhar Mohan and Ishan Kishan steadied the innings with a patient partnership. The duo added 126 runs for the third wicket before Kishan was dismissed by MD Nidheesh after scoring a valuable 80.
Shikhar also made an important contribution, scoring 52, before his dismissal left East Zone at 212/5. Kumar Kushagra (34) and Md Kounain Quraishi (26)** were at the crease at the close of play.
With East Zone already holding a 584-run lead, the team has plenty of runs in the bank. The big question now is whether they will declare early on the final day and give South Zone a chance to chase an unlikely target, or add a few more runs before making the declaration.
Duleep Trophy 2026 Final: What happens if the decider ends in a draw?
If the Duleep Trophy final ends in a draw, the winner will be decided on the basis of the first-innings lead. The team that takes the first-innings lead will be declared the winner of the coveted trophy.
With East Zone already holding a 372-run first-innings lead and an overall advantage of 584 runs, they are in a commanding position heading into the final day and remain the clear favourites to lift the trophy.
Duleep Trophy 2026 Final: Brief Scorecard
South Zone 336 & East Zone 212/5 (Ishan Kishan 80, Shikhar Mohan 52; Mohammed Siraj 1/17). East Zone lead by 584 runs.
