On Thursday, September 10, the East Zone, led by Ishan Kishan, ended their wait of 13 years and won the Duleep Trophy. They contested against Tilak Varma’s South Zone and lifted the trophy after the final
ended in a draw. While no outright winner emerged on the field, the East Zone was handed the trophy and declared the winner owing to their commanding first-innings advantage. After opting to bat first, the Ishan Kishan-led side put up a mammoth total of 708 runs in the first innings, with the help up of skipper’s 270-run knock and Kumar Kushagra’s 101 off 132 deliveries.
In return, the South Zone tried to make a comeback but owing to a colossal bowling display by their counterparts, they were bundled out at 336. Only skipper Tilak Varma and Devdutt Padikkal came up with decent knocks of 99 off 211 and 62 off 104, respectively. Later in the second innings, East Zone declared at 388-7, following another impactful batting display by Ishan Kishan with a 98-ball 80, leading to a draw and the team was eventually declared the winners. But, why?
CAPTAIN ISHAN KISHAN LIFTS THE DULEEP TROPHY! 🏆🔥
13 years later, East Zone are champions again! 👑 Ishan Kishan leads them to glory and etches his name into East Zone history. ❤️🏏
The Ishan Kishan era in domestic cricket! 🔥
#IshanKishan #DuleepTrophy #EastZone https://t.co/yJGyE7wTwF
— SportsTiger (@The_SportsTiger) September 10, 2026
Why East Zone Won Despite the Game Having Ended in a Draw?
A draw doesn’t mean that the trophy would be shared or the previous champions will retain the title. Under the rules of the competition’s first-innings lead, the team that gains the advantage after both sides complete their first innings is declared champion if the final ends in a draw. Now, as per the game, East Zone’s 708-run total in the opening innings, followed by their counterparts’ 336 automatically put them in the lead by giving them a 372-run cushion that the South Zone couldn’t overturn.
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The victory has come as a significant milestone for young skipper Ishan Kishan, who played specuatular knock of 270 runs in the first innings. Not only this, but the Jharkhand-born also came up with 80 runs, to help the side solidify their stance in the game, ultimately leading them to the coveted title after over a decade.
