Ishan Kishan played a defining role as East Zone ended a 13-year wait for the Duleep Trophy title, producing a memorable campaign as both captain and wicketkeeper-batter.
The Jharkhand star saved his best for the final against South Zone in Chennai, smashing a magnificent 270 to put East Zone in a commanding position.
Kishan's marathon knock formed the backbone of East Zone's huge first-innings total of 708. His innings not only demonstrated his ability to dominate in red-ball cricket but also underlined his growing maturity as a leader. The left-hander combined attacking strokeplay with the patience required to build a massive score in a multi-day contest.
In reply, South Zone struggled against East Zone's disciplined bowling attack and were dismissed
for 336. That gave East Zone a mammoth 372-run first-innings lead, effectively deciding the championship as the final ended in a draw.
The title was particularly significant for Kishan, who has been working to strengthen his case for a return to India's Test squad. His leadership and outstanding batting performance have added another dimension to his credentials.
And at a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) event, the CAB president Sourav Ganguly revealed his conversation with Ishan Kishan.
"I spoke to him this afternoon. He had called me this afternoon and I congratulated him. It's a remarkable performance. To go unbeaten and win, be the national champions, especially East Zone, is remarkable," Ganguly said on Thursday.
When asked whether Kishan can make a return to the Indian Test team again, Ganguly is quite affirmative.
"If he performs, yes. I think for every young player, Test cricket should be important. They must want to play Test cricket and hopefully he will. And he gets runs in big matches - Vijay Hazare final, Mushtaq Ali Final, Duleep Trophy final," the former India captain added.
Ahead of the New Zealand Test series, the Indian selectors will have to keep account of Kishan's performances. The southpaw has been excellent since his return to limited overs format for India, and now it is to be seen if he can roar back into the Red Ball format.
