M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
East Zone are four wickets away from winning the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone in Chennai, after building a huge lead through Ishan Kishan’s 270.
East Zone’s first innings total of 708, powered by Kishan’s double-century and a hundred from Kumar Kushagra, dwarfed South Zone’s reply of 336.
Tilak Varma’s 99 was the standout innings for South Zone, who also got 43 from Chama Milind, while Mohammed Shami picked up 2 for 17 with the ball.
Choosing not to enforce the follow-on despite a 372-run lead, East Zone batted again and were 212 for 5, with Kishan unbeaten on 48 alongside Shikhar Mohan.
The final is being decided on the first-innings lead rule, meaning East Zone need just four more wickets to clinch the trophy.
Kumar Kushagra’s century alongside Kishan’s double-hundred anchored East Zone’s mammoth 708, putting South Zone under pressure from the outset of the match.
The Duleep Trophy final is being played under the tournament’s first-innings lead rule, meaning a draw would hand the title to whichever side leads after the first innings.
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.
M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
