New Delhi, Sep 10: East Zone clinched their third Duleep Trophy title after their final against South Zone ended in a draw, with Ishan Kishan’s side securing the championship by virtue of a commanding first-innings lead.
East Zone had piled up 708 in their first innings, powered by a spectacular 270 from skipper Kishan and 101 by Kumar Kushagra. South Zone were then bowled out for 336, leaving East Zone with a substantial 372-run lead.
With the match effectively decided by the first-innings advantage, East Zone continued to bat on the final day rather than declare overnight. They eventually declared at 388/7, with Jharkhand all-rounder Md Kounain Quraishi unbeaten on 116 and Kishan contributing 80.
Quraishi’s maiden first-class century came after he and Anukul Roy had frustrated the South Zone attack. The duo added 150 runs before Roy was dismissed in the 99th over.
Quraishi brought up his century in emphatic fashion, smashing Tripurana Vijay for consecutive sixes as East Zone’s overall lead crossed 750 runs.
Kishan was adjudged Player of the Match after aggregating 350 runs across the two innings, the highest match aggregate in a Duleep Trophy game.
The title further enhanced Kishan’s credentials as a domestic captain. His unbeaten run as a first-class captain now stands at 16 matches, while he had also guided Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last season.
Reflecting on his leadership, Kishan cheekily described himself as a “good leader” and termed his period away from the Indian team a “transformation”, saying it had made him calmer and more aware of situations while keeping his hunger intact.
South Zone captain Tilak Varma, who was named Player of the Series, made 99 in his team’s first innings, while Devdutt Padikkal scored 62.
Varma later expressed disappointment over his failure to perform better on the opening day, which eventually allowed East Zone to build a massive first-innings total and secure the decisive advantage.
South Zone’s bowlers struggled to make inroads in the second innings, with Tripurana Vijay taking 4-180 in the match and Mukesh Kumar claiming 3-62 in East Zone’s first innings. South Zone also exhausted all their reviews by the 76th over while searching for a breakthrough.
The victory had a strong Jharkhand imprint, with Kushagra, Quraishi and Shikhar Mohan among the East Zone players making significant contributions.
Brief scores: East Zone 708 (Ishan Kishan 270, Kumar Kushagra 101; Tripurana Vijay 4-180) & 388/7 decl; South Zone 336 (Tilak Varma 99, Devdutt Padikkal 62; Mukesh Kumar 3-62). Match drawn; East Zone won on first-innings lead.
