Duleep Trophy Final: Ishan Kishan makes hundred in East Zone’s dominant Day 1

Brief Scores: East Zone (385 for 4 in 79 overs) at Stumps on Day 1 at Chennai Vs. South zone. Ishan Kishan (111 not out), Kumar Kushagra (63 not out).

East Zone captain Ishan Kishan led from the front with an unbeaten 111 as his team dominated the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday. East Zone reached 385/4 in 79 overs after Kishan won the toss and elected to bat.

Duleep Trophy Final: Highlights Day 1

Kishan was unbeaten on 111 off 135 balls at the stumps and reached his century in 122 deliveries with 12 fours and two sixes. Kumar Kushagra kept him company on 63 as the pair added 127 runs for the fifth wicket and took the game away from the south zone in the final over.

The hundred was Kishan’s 10th in first-class cricket and his second in the Duleep Trophy. His previous century in the competition came two years ago when he scored 111 for India C at Anantapur. His other first-class hundreds came for Jharkhand, including his career-best 273 against Delhi in the 2016 Ranji Trophy.

Kishan, who last played a Test for India in 2023, grew into his innings as the day progressed. After reaching three figures, he was particularly strict on the short ball, pulling and slashing whenever the South Zone dropped it into his strike zone.

The East Zone had laid the groundwork earlier in the day. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored a quick 44 pointswhile Abhimanyu Easwaran and Shikhar Mohan made half-centuries. Sooryavanshi and Easwaran added more than 100 for the opening wicket, with South Zone’s fielding defense allowing the pair to keep the score moving. Quicks also tried to unsettle Sooryavanshi with a short ball before Milind finally ended his aggressive hitting.

Easwaran, playing on his 31st birthday, looked set for a high score before a mix-up with Mohan resulted in a 72 over.

Mohan went on to 85 but was eventually undone by a short ball. Another delivery from Milind narrowed his space and he chopped it.

Kishan and Kushagra then took the lead. Kushagra was particularly aggressive against the spinners, hitting three of his six sixes off Vijay over wide long-on. Kishan took a more measured approach but continued to punish anything that came loose.

The south zone’s problems were compounded by their slow passing rate. They managed only 79 overs through the extra half hour, leaving 11 overs to spare. With the light fading, they also had to rely on rotation from both ends for considerable periods.

Siraj was expensive, conceding nearly seven runs as the rest of the attack struggled to maintain the pressure.

The pitch has already offered some spin and low bounce, which could show up later in the game. But the Eastern Zone is firmly in control for now, with Kishan and Kushagra heading into Day 2 undefeated.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

06 Sep 2026 17:35 IST