East Zone have achieved the Duleep Trophy after 13 years and won the prestigious domestic red-ball title. Led by wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, East Zone dominated South Zone in the final to win their third Duleep Trophy title.
The victory is a big accomplishment for East Zone, which has won the titles in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. That has been achieved through a combined batting depth and bowling discipline and excellent leadership from Kishan.
Ishan Kishan’s Historic 270
The biggest highlight of the final was undoubtedly Kishan’s excellent 270-run innings. The East Zone captain faced 334 deliveries, hitting 30 boundaries and seven sixes during a marathon stay at the crease.
His innings was only the seventh double-century in a Duleep Trophy final and helped East Zone post a massive 708 in their first innings. Kishan was also the first East Zone captain and wicketkeeper to score a double century in the competition.
The knock strengthened Kishan’s confidence in red-ball cricket and could lead to discussions of his return in India's Test team.
East Zone Establish Complete Dominance
Kishan was not the only one to contribute with the bat. Kumar Kushagra scored 101, Shikhar Mohan and Abhimanyu Easwaran also made valuable contributions as East Zone received a large total.
South Zone struggled to reply and were bowled out for 336, giving East Zone a commanding first-innings advantage of 372 runs. Tilak Varma fought hard with 99 but narrowly missed out on a century.
East Zone then strengthened their position in the second innings with Kishan adding another 80 runs. By the end of the fourth day, East Zone had extended their overall lead to 584 runs.
Handshakes in the middle to conclude a fantastic Final 🤝
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 10, 2026
East Zone clinch the #DuleepTrophy 2026 title by virtue of first-innings lead 🏆#EZvSZ pic.twitter.com/4DJjNHkAHD
A 13-Year Wait Ends
The victory is especially significant because East Zone had not won the Duleep Trophy since the 2012-13 season.
Their way to the title was a strong campaign against North East Zone before they defeated defending champions Central Zone in the semi-final. They then took that momentum to the final against South Zone.
The championship is finally East Zone’s third Duleep Trophy title after a more than a decade wait.
Kishan’s Red-Ball Statement
For Kishan the tournament has been about more than winning silverware. His massive 270 and then 80 showed his ability to produce long, substantial innings in first-class cricket.
The performance also comes at an important stage in his career, and the Jharkhand batter would love to make his case for greater opportunities in India's Test setup.
East Zone’s historic victory is significant beyond the trophy, too. It has brought together a strong group of domestic players and put Kishan back in the spotlight.
For East Zone, however, the message is simple: ‘After 13 years, the Duleep Trophy is finally coming East again.’
