Duleep Trophy 2026 Final: Ishan Kishan-led East Zone have strengthened their hold on the Duleep Trophy 2026 final even more as they swelled their lead by a mammoth 584 runs heading into the final day of the first-class fixture. Backing up his 270 in the first innings, Kishan added another 80 runs to his tally to put East Zone firmly on the front foot against South Zone on Day 5.
Duleep Trophy 2026 Final: Tilak Varma falls agonizingly short of a hundred as South Zone concede big lead
When South Zone resumed batting on Day 4 with 466 runs still in arrears, their skipper Tilak Varma was the last recognised batter of the lot. Batting at 63, he somehow kept himself afloat to take his score to 99 but threw it away with an aggressive shot, giving a caught and bowled opportunity to Md Kounain Quraishi. As a result, the left-handed batter missed out on a well-deserved hundred.
While Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (8) and Abhimanyu Easwaran (3) didn’t quite make the impact they had in the first innings and fell cheaply, Shikhar Mohan (52) and Kishan (80) hit back with their composed knocks. The two combined for a partnership of 126 before Kishan perished to MD Nidheesh. With Kumar Kushagra (34*) and Md Kounain Quraishi (26*) still at the crease, it remains to be seen how much time will the East Zone will want to bat. At 212/5 alongside a lead of 584, East Zone will likely know they already have plenty of runs in the bank.
Duleep Trophy 2026 Final: What happens if the decider ends in a draw?
If the match ends in a draw, the winner gets determined by the first-innings lead. Whichever team takes the lead, will be declared winner of the coveted trophy.
In this case, East Zone are well ahead in the game and should win the contest with ease.
Duleep Trophy 2026 Final: Brief Scorecard
East Zone 708 and 212/5 (Ishan Kishan 80, Shikhar Mohan 52, Mohammed Siraj 1/17) Lead South Zone (336) by 584 runs.
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