East Zone Win Duleep Trophy 2026 After Final Ends in Draw

East Zone lifted the Duleep Trophy 2026 after their final against South Zone ended in a draw at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. They won the title on the basis of their first-innings lead.

East Zone posted a huge 708 all out in their first innings, with Ishan Kishan leading the charge with a brilliant 270. His big knock put East Zone firmly in control of the match.

South Zone struggled to match that total and were bowled out for 336 in 107.3 overs. Tilak Varma fought hard with 99, while Mukesh Kumar impressed with the ball, finishing with 3/62.

East Zone then continued their strong batting display in the second innings. They declared at 388/7 after 99.2 overs, with Md Kounain Quraishi unbeaten on 116.

Ishan Kishan added another 80 runs in the second innings, taking his total for the match to 350 runs. His outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award.

Tilak Varma was named Player of the Series after scoring 266 runs across two matches. His consistent batting was one of the key positives for South Zone during the tournament.

With the final ending in a draw, South Zone did not get a chance to chase down East Zone’s huge first-innings total. East Zone’s lead of 372 runs was enough to secure the Duleep Trophy.

The result once again showed the importance of the first-innings lead in domestic first-class cricket. East Zone’s massive opening total gave them the advantage they needed to win the title despite the final not producing a result.