East Zone vs South Zone: Ishan Kishan’s Unbeaten Century Gives East Zone Control in Duleep Trophy Final

The Duleep Trophy 2026 final between East Zone and South Zone got off to an exciting start in Chennai, with East Zone taking firm control of the match after an impressive batting performance on Day 1. Captain Ishan Kishan led from the front, scoring a brilliant unbeaten century and putting his team in a strong position.

East Zone finished the opening day at 385/4 in 79 overs, leaving South Zone with plenty of work to do when play resumes. Kishan remained unbeaten on 111, while Kumar Kushagra was not out on 63, giving East Zone a strong foundation to build on in the next session.

The day began positively for East Zone, with their batters making good use of the conditions at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi provided an aggressive start and scored 44 from just 37 balls. He played fearlessly against experienced India pacer Mohammed Siraj and gave the innings early momentum.

East Zone also received valuable contributions from Abhimanyu Easwaran, who scored 72, and Shikhar Mohan, who made 85. Although both batters missed out on centuries, their performances helped build the platform for Kishan to take charge later in the day.

The biggest moment, however, belonged to Ishan Kishan. The East Zone captain mixed patience with attacking cricket and looked comfortable against both pace and spin. His unbeaten century came at an important time and helped East Zone move into a commanding position.

South Zone did manage to take four wickets, but their bowlers struggled to consistently stop the flow of runs. With Kishan and Kushagra still at the crease, East Zone will now hope to add a significant number of runs on Day 2.

The final is still far from over, but after the opening day, East Zone clearly hold the advantage. South Zone will need early wickets when play resumes if they want to bring themselves back into the contest.