East Zone have taken firm control of the Duleep Trophy 2026 final against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. After winning the toss and electing to bat, East Zone piled up a colossal first-innings total of 708 runs. In response, South Zone struggled against disciplined bowling and finished Day 3 at 242 for 6 in 80 overs, trailing East Zone's massive total by 466 runs with just four wickets remaining in their first innings.
Ishan Kishan's Double Century Powers East Zone to 708
The foundation of East Zone's dominant performance was laid by captain Ishan Kishan, who played a sensational knock. Openers Abhimanyu Easwaran and vice-captain Vaibhav Suryavanshi set the tone with a 100-run opening stand. Suryavanshi scored a quick 44 off 37 balls with 6 boundaries. Despite losing three quick wickets to drop to 147 for 3, East Zone regained control once Ishan Kishan took charge of the innings.
Ishan Kishan smashed a brilliant 270 runs off 334 balls, packed with 30 fours and 7 sixes. He put together key partnerships throughout the innings, including a 94-run stand for the fourth wicket with Shikhar Mohan, who made 85. Kishan then joined hands with Kumar Kushagra for a massive 230-run partnership for the fifth wicket, with Kushagra scoring a fine century (101 runs). Anukul Roy also contributed a crucial 45 runs, sharing a 140-run stand for the sixth wicket with his skipper, while Kounain Qureshi added 40 runs. For South Zone, Tripura Vijay was the standout bowler with figures of 4 for 4, while Chama Milind and Shreyas Gopal claimed 2 wickets each, and Shaik Rasheed took 1 wicket.
South Zone Top-Order Stumbles Despite Padikkal's Fifty
Faced with a daunting task, South Zone suffered an early setback in their first innings when Ricky Bhui was dismissed for just 1 run with the scoreboard reading 10. Devdutt Padikkal then anchored the recovery alongside Narayan Jagadeesan, rebuilding the innings with a 60-run partnership for the second wicket. Jagadeesan scored 32 runs with 6 boundaries before departing at 70.
Padikkal continued his solid work alongside Shaik Rasheed, putting together 56 runs for the third wicket. Rasheed fell for 27, while Padikkal brought up his half-century, eventually scoring 62 runs with 4 boundaries. However, his dismissal left South Zone vulnerable at 129 for 4, placing the middle order under immense pressure against East Zone's disciplined attack.
Tilak Varma Fights On as East Zone Bowlers Maintain Pressure
With four top-order wickets down, South Zone captain Tilak Varma launched a gritty rescue operation. He built useful partnerships to push the team total past the 200-run mark. Varma added 45 runs for the fifth wicket with Smaran Ravichandran, who contributed 23 runs. He then partnered with Shreyas Gopal for a 66-run sixth-wicket stand before Gopal was dismissed for 26.
At the close of play on Day 3, Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 56 off 133 balls, featuring 5 boundaries, with Chama Milind supporting him on 2 not out. East Zone's bowling attack proved effective throughout the day, with pace spearheads Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar taking 2 wickets each. Kounain Qureshi and Shikhar Mohan picked up 1 wicket apiece, leaving South Zone with a steep hill to climb on Day 4.
