East Zone captain Ishan Kishan plundered 21 runs from a single Tripurana Vijay over to push his side’s second-innings lead past 500 on day four of the Duleep Trophy final.
Targeting The Spin Attack
The wicketkeeper-batter struck two fours and two sixes in a brutal 26th-over sequence against the Andhra Pradesh off-spinner. The boundary blitz reversed their earlier contest, after Vijay had dismissed Kishan to conclude his record-breaking 270-run knock on day three.
Kishan scored 80 from 98 balls at Chepauk, demonstrating the assured tactical leadership that has guided East Zone throughout the competition. His overall match tally reached 350 runs before he misjudged a heave against MD Nidheesh and was caught by Devdutt Padikkal.
Securing The Vital Lead
East Zone had previously dismissed South Zone for 336 to secure a decisive 372-run advantage. South Zone captain Tilak Varma top-scored with 99, falling to a caught and bowled effort from Kounain Quraishi. Mukesh Kumar finished with three wickets for 62 runs, while Mohammed Shami and Shikhar Mohan claimed two each.
Following early losses in their second innings, Kishan and Mohan rebuilt the innings effectively. They shared a dominant 125-run partnership for the third wicket, taking the total to 139 for three before the captain departed.
With the match expected to finish in a draw, East Zone remain heavily favoured to lift the title via their established first-innings lead.
