East Zone keep South at bay to clinch Duleep Trophy

Led by Ishan Kishan, East Zone clinched the Duleep Trophy 2026 with a massive first-innings lead over South Zone. The writing was already on the wall at the end of the fourth day itself, when East Zone went to stumps on 212/5, a mammoth 584 runs ahead. Most of day five was spent further grinding the South Zone bowlers into dust, as East Zone refrained from an overnight declaration. Kumar Kushagra, the centurion from the first innings, could only add 12 to his score, as South Zone’s pacers found some nip under the overcast skies. Mohammed Siraj hit the right notes, but Md Kounain Quraishi, at No.7, held one end to ensure there was no sudden collapse. The Jharkhand all-rounder, playing just his second first-class match, found company in Anukul Roy, who switched gears with ease, hitting a couple of sixes in a Tripurana Vijay over.