East Zone captain Ishan Kishan secured his side’s first Duleep Trophy title in 13 years following a drawn final against South Zone decided by a 372-run first-innings advantage. The wicketkeeper-batter amassed a 334-ball 270 in Chennai before adding 80 in the second innings. His measured approach directly addressed earlier scrutiny over his first-class temperament, having anchored East Zone’s dominance. The performance extended his unbeaten first-class captaincy record to 16 matches. Kishan outlined his shifting mindset during his recent absence from the national setup. “It was more about, you know, just being more calm after the break,” he told the Hindustan Times. “Being more into the game, knowing what’s important, how aware you are towards the game and how you are reading the situation.”
Veteran And Rookie Contributions
Veteran fast bowler Mohammed Shami completed 16 overs for 47 runs in the second innings on a flat surface. All-rounder Md Kounain Quraishi struck an unbeaten 116 to stretch the final total. The aggressive batting display ensured South Zone were batted out of contention over five days. Kishan explained his pragmatic approach to the declaration to The Times of India. “So, our primary task was to take those first 10 wickets and gain that lead. If we have an innings lead (good enough to impose follow-on), why would I want to step back out in the blazing heat,” he said. Kishan concludes the tournament with 409 runs across five innings at an average of 102.25.
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