Duleep Trophy Final: Ishan Kishan signals intent with the red ball with a mammoth 270

East Zone captain Ishan Kishan plays a knock on day 2 of the 2026-27 Duleep Trophy final cricket match between South Zone and East Zone in Chennai. (PTI) CHENNAI: Ishan Kishan has made a habit of saving his best for the big occasion. Last year, he led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title and produced a match-winning hundred in the final, which helped him earn his way back into India’s T20I set-up. After playing the winning hand against Pakistan in Colombo in the T20 World Cup earlier in the year, Kishan played again in the Duleep final on Monday, leading the East Zone against the South at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.Kishan smashed 270 off 334 balls (30×4, 7×6) to take East to a mammoth total of 708 all out, with Kumar Kushagra also chipping in with 101. The double century, his second in first-class cricket, came after 10 years and further strengthened his case for a return to India’s red-ball set-up.After crossing 250, a triple century seemed on the cards, but Kishan said his mind never occupied personal landmarks. Interestingly, he himself did not know that 10 years had passed since he scored a first-class double century. “Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking about 50, let alone 300. I was only thinking about a 50-run partnership,” Kishan said.The double century came off 273 balls. He then accelerated dramatically to reach 250 in just 27 more balls. But the intention, he said, was never to chase numbers. “I didn’t change anything in my game plan. I just batted normally. Once I got set up, I thought about not dropping my wicket. I have enough confidence in my shots to know that if I play well, I’ll either clear the field or find a gap,” he said.For Kishan, the most satisfying aspect of the innings was the temperament he displayed. With East winning the toss and electing to bat, the priority was to field a side that would put South under pressure. “I would rate this innings very highly because I kept the team’s wicket against my own runs. There were times when I could have played more attacking shots but the priority was spending time in the middle, making good decisions and building a big unit,” he said.This approach has been shaped by a mindset that Kishan believes has changed significantly during his time away from the Indian team. Having spent up to two years in domestic cricket, he said the experience taught him to simplify his game. “When you play for India regularly, sometimes you get in a groove and your growth can stagnate. Coming back to domestic cricket makes you start from scratch. You realize that so many players are scoring goals and you have to perform better to get back,” he said.