East Zone finally won their first Duleep Trophy title in 13 years (the premier red-ball tournament in Indian domestic cricket), beating South Zone on the basis of a first-innings lead. The final, which ended in a draw on Day 5 (Sep 10), saw more than 1,300 runs scored at Chepauk in Chennai, more than 1,000 of which were scored by East Zone. Ishan Kishan, the winning captain, was named Player of the Match for his 270 in the first innings. South Zone captain Tilak Varma was named Player of the Series for his 266 runs in three innings across two matches at an average of 266.00, including two fifties (one of which was 99) and a hundred.<h2>East Zone dominates from start to finish</h2>After piling up 708 runs in the first innings, East Zone declared their second innings at 388/7, which resulted in a draw as both teams shook hands. For East Zone, MD Kounain Quraishi remained 116 not out in the second innings, while skipper Kishan added 80 to take his match total to 350. Apart from them, Anukul Roy (64) and Shikhar Mohan (52) also contributed fifties, while Kumar Kushagra chipped in with 46.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/don-t-deserve-to-play-shakeel-calls-out-pak-batting-after-another-sorry-display-in-england-1789025396312">'Don't deserve to play': Shakeel on Pak batting after another sorry display</a>South Zone, which managed 336 runs in the first innings on the back of captain Tilak Varma's 99, was never in the hunt to overtake East Zone's 708, as Varma acknowledged in his post-match comments."The first day we were doing better, but when they scored 708, it was slightly tough chasing that. Props to their batters. We didn't bowl that great, honestly. Honestly, we were just thinking of batting on for three days, and we tried our best to score 700... Credit goes to East Zone, they have totally outplayed us," he said.Kishan, on the other hand, was chuffed with his team's performance as well as his own, saying: "To be honest, it's more about being one unit. We did that as a group, we won this title as a group, and everyone was taking care of each other. [On my role as captain], I think I've been a good leader, but the journey doesn't end here; when you lead a side, there are always mistakes happening... I think it was more about reading the situation, taking care of each other, and getting into the zone where I was. It's a good transformation for me: I've been calmer, I've had more hunger, and you want to lead the team from the front."

East Zone won the Duleep Trophy on a first-innings lead after a drawn final vs South Zone. Ishan Kishan (270 & 80) was Player of the Match, while South Zone skipper Tilak Varma was Player of the Series.

East Zone finally won their first Duleep Trophy title in 13 years (the premier red-ball tournament in Indian domestic cricket), beating South Zone on the basis of a first-innings lead. The final, which ended in a draw on Day 5 (Sep 10), saw more than 1,300 runs scored at Chepauk in Chennai, more than 1,000 of which were scored by East Zone. Ishan Kishan, the winning captain, was named Player of the Match for his 270 in the first innings. South Zone captain Tilak Varma was named Player of the Series for his 266 runs in three innings across two matches at an average of 266.00, including two fifties (one of which was 99) and a hundred. East Zone dominates from start to finish After piling up 708 runs in the first innings, East Zone declared their second innings at 388/7, which resulted in a draw as both teams shook hands. For East Zone, MD Kounain Quraishi remained 116 not out in the second innings, while skipper Kishan added 80 to take his match total to 350. Apart from them, Anukul Roy (64) and Shikhar Mohan (52) also contributed fifties, while Kumar Kushagra chipped in with 46. Also Read - 'Don't deserve to play': Shakeel on Pak batting after another sorry display South Zone, which managed 336 runs in the first innings on the back of captain Tilak Varma's 99, was never in the hunt to overtake East Zone's 708, as Varma acknowledged in his post-match comments. "The first day we were doing better, but when they scored 708, it was slightly tough chasing that. Props to their batters. We didn't bowl that great, honestly. Honestly, we were just thinking of batting on for three days, and we tried our best to score 700... Credit goes to East Zone, they have totally outplayed us," he said. Kishan, on the other hand, was chuffed with his team's performance as well as his own, saying: "To be honest, it's more about being one unit. We did that as a group, we won this title as a group, and everyone was taking care of each other. [On my role as captain], I think I've been a good leader, but the journey doesn't end here; when you lead a side, there are always mistakes happening... I think it was more about reading the situation, taking care of each other, and getting into the zone where I was. It's a good transformation for me: I've been calmer, I've had more hunger, and you want to lead the team from the front."

East Zone won the Duleep Trophy on a first-innings lead after a drawn final vs South Zone. Ishan Kishan (270 &amp; 80) was Player of the Match, while South Zone skipper Tilak Varma was Player of the Series.

Duleep Trophy Final: Kishan leads East Zone to first title in 13 years with 350 runs vs South Zone

Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma -- India’s T20I mainstays -- will be up against each other as captains of East and South Zone, respectively, in the Duleep Trophy final starting Sunday (Sep 6) at Chepauk in Chennai. While they have plenty riding on their shoulders ahead of the marquee clash, switching formats and style of play remains their primary concern. As India will face Afghanistan across three T20Is starting Sep 13 in Delhi, three days after the last day of the Duleep Trophy final, the two addressed the challenges of switching their game quickly. &nbsp;Apart from Kishan and Tilak, batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who opens for East Zone, will also be part of the T20I squad for the Afghanistan series.&nbsp; &nbsp;Kishan said it’s never easy to switch formats this quickly. The East Zone captain, who plays in the middle order in domestic cricket but opens for India in T20Is, explained its challenges.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asian-games-2026-ioa-bcci-cricket-logistics-1788598143640">Asian Games 2026: IOA tells BCCI 'no special treatment' for cricket, asks board to handle own logistics</a>&nbsp;"I don't know. How do I tell you? It's just about knowing what format you are playing," Kishan said on the eve of the Duleep final at Chepauk. "Sometimes it gets difficult when you are playing a Test match and suddenly you have to go and start hitting from ball one and suddenly you have to go back to your domestic team and you have to play a whole different role. But at the same time, I feel, as professionals it's our job to adapt, we cannot be coming up with excuses after knowing this is like your routine for next few days. &nbsp;"So, it is better not to be in a situation where we have to make excuses, but at the same time be aware and be just mindful of what is going to happen, and I will be playing T20 after this. So, my job will be different [in T20Is], but still I feel we are getting two days of practice before the Afghanistan first game, so it will be more than enough, I feel,” Kishan said ahead of the Duleep Trophy final in Chennai.&nbsp; &nbsp;On the other hand, Tilak, who has frequently switched formats in recent months, also expressed similar concerns, adding that though all players are quick to adapt to the conditions, going from five-day cricket to a 20-over game isn’t the easiest option. &nbsp;"We have played enough domestic games; we have played in every condition, so we can adjust to the conditions," Tilak Varma said.&nbsp; &nbsp;"But it will be slightly challenging playing five days here and again joining the [T20I] team. But from here we are going to Delhi; there will be two days of break, so we can practice there and we have enough time as well, but it will be slightly challenging. We know how to change our mindsets and maintain our body with good fluids and everything, so we have played back-to-back games before in the domestic as well and international, so we are quite used to it,” he added. &nbsp;Meanwhile, the 2026 Duleep Trophy final will see two top and star-studded teams facing off for the coveted prize, with several A-listers ready to grace the occasion.&nbsp;

Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma react to leading East Zone and South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final just days before India's T20I series against Afghanistan.

Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma -- India’s T20I mainstays -- will be up against each other as captains of East and South Zone, respectively, in the Duleep Trophy final starting Sunday (Sep 6) at Chepauk in Chennai. While they have plenty riding on their shoulders ahead of the marquee clash, switching formats and style of play remains their primary concern. As India will face Afghanistan across three T20Is starting Sep 13 in Delhi, three days after the last day of the Duleep Trophy final, the two addressed the challenges of switching their game quickly. Apart from Kishan and Tilak, batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who opens for East Zone, will also be part of the T20I squad for the Afghanistan series. Kishan said it’s never easy to switch formats this quickly. The East Zone captain, who plays in the middle order in domestic cricket but opens for India in T20Is, explained its challenges. Also read| Asian Games 2026: IOA tells BCCI 'no special treatment' for cricket, asks board to handle own logistics "I don't know. How do I tell you? It's just about knowing what format you are playing," Kishan said on the eve of the Duleep final at Chepauk. "Sometimes it gets difficult when you are playing a Test match and suddenly you have to go and start hitting from ball one and suddenly you have to go back to your domestic team and you have to play a whole different role. But at the same time, I feel, as professionals it's our job to adapt, we cannot be coming up with excuses after knowing this is like your routine for next few days. "So, it is better not to be in a situation where we have to make excuses, but at the same time be aware and be just mindful of what is going to happen, and I will be playing T20 after this. So, my job will be different [in T20Is], but still I feel we are getting two days of practice before the Afghanistan first game, so it will be more than enough, I feel,” Kishan said ahead of the Duleep Trophy final in Chennai. On the other hand, Tilak, who has frequently switched formats in recent months, also expressed similar concerns, adding that though all players are quick to adapt to the conditions, going from five-day cricket to a 20-over game isn’t the easiest option. "We have played enough domestic games; we have played in every condition, so we can adjust to the conditions," Tilak Varma said. "But it will be slightly challenging playing five days here and again joining the [T20I] team. But from here we are going to Delhi; there will be two days of break, so we can practice there and we have enough time as well, but it will be slightly challenging. We know how to change our mindsets and maintain our body with good fluids and everything, so we have played back-to-back games before in the domestic as well and international, so we are quite used to it,” he added. Meanwhile, the 2026 Duleep Trophy final will see two top and star-studded teams facing off for the coveted prize, with several A-listers ready to grace the occasion.

Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma react to leading East Zone and South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final just days before India's T20I series against Afghanistan.

'Switching formats is tough but no excuses': Kishan, Tilak ready for AFG T20Is days after Duleep Trophy final

For not telecasting the ongoing 2025 Duleep Trophy quarterfinals, the BCCI faced plenty of flak on social media, with the fans bashing the Indian Cricket Board for not honouring the premier domestic tournament as much as they claim they do. However, in the latest development, the BCCI has promised to live telecast the Duleep Trophy final, scheduled (September 11-15) at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.&nbsp;"There will be a live telecast of the final of the Duleep Trophy. We have an agreement with our broadcaster to ensure live telecast of 100 days of domestic cricket, which means that all our domestic tournaments are covered live. The BCCI gives utmost importance to domestic cricket, which is why you will see that almost all the India players are in action in these matches," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said in a chat with the Times of India (TOI) on Sunday (Aug 31).&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/there-was-no-shoulder-to-cry-on-bharat-arun-recalls-how-mohammed-siraj-dealt-with-father-death-during-bgt-2020-21-1756637622137">‘There was no shoulder to cry on,’ Bharat Arun recalls how Siraj dealt with father’s death during BGT 2020/21</a> &nbsp;The Indian cricket fans were looking forward to watching the Duleep Trophy quarters, which began with North Zone playing East Zone and Central Delhi taking on North East Zone, both games starting on Thursday (Aug 28). Deprived of watching top-level cricket since the conclusion of India’s away tour of England, the countless fans took to social media to bash the BCCI for not telecasting Duleep Trophy games across any platform. &nbsp;Meanwhile, this edition of the Duleep Trophy, featuring several A-listers, marks the return to the traditional zonal format after last year’s switch to India A, B, C and D teams. Besides, this tournament also sees BCCI carrying out its ‘serious substitution rule’ trials, where players who suffer injuries during the game are substituted with players of similar attributes, like in the case of a concussion. &nbsp;The board, however, ensured that the fans had live access to all Duleep Trophy games last year, held in Anantapur and Bengaluru.&nbsp;

Deprived of watching top-level cricket since the conclusion of India’s away tour of England, the countless fans took to social media to bash the BCCI for not telecasting Duleep Trophy games across any platform.

For not telecasting the ongoing 2025 Duleep Trophy quarterfinals, the BCCI faced plenty of flak on social media, with the fans bashing the Indian Cricket Board for not honouring the premier domestic tournament as much as they claim they do. However, in the latest development, the BCCI has promised to live telecast the Duleep Trophy final, scheduled (September 11-15) at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. "There will be a live telecast of the final of the Duleep Trophy. We have an agreement with our broadcaster to ensure live telecast of 100 days of domestic cricket, which means that all our domestic tournaments are covered live. The BCCI gives utmost importance to domestic cricket, which is why you will see that almost all the India players are in action in these matches," BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said in a chat with the Times of India (TOI) on Sunday (Aug 31). Also read | ‘There was no shoulder to cry on,’ Bharat Arun recalls how Siraj dealt with father’s death during BGT 2020/21 The Indian cricket fans were looking forward to watching the Duleep Trophy quarters, which began with North Zone playing East Zone and Central Delhi taking on North East Zone, both games starting on Thursday (Aug 28). Deprived of watching top-level cricket since the conclusion of India’s away tour of England, the countless fans took to social media to bash the BCCI for not telecasting Duleep Trophy games across any platform. Meanwhile, this edition of the Duleep Trophy, featuring several A-listers, marks the return to the traditional zonal format after last year’s switch to India A, B, C and D teams. Besides, this tournament also sees BCCI carrying out its ‘serious substitution rule’ trials, where players who suffer injuries during the game are substituted with players of similar attributes, like in the case of a concussion. The board, however, ensured that the fans had live access to all Duleep Trophy games last year, held in Anantapur and Bengaluru.

Deprived of watching top-level cricket since the conclusion of India’s away tour of England, the countless fans took to social media to bash the BCCI for not telecasting Duleep Trophy games across any platform.

Cricket fans win as social media backlash forces BCCI to live telecast Duleep Trophy final

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Duleep Trophy Final: Kishan leads East Zone to first title in 13 years with 350 runs vs South Zone

Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma ready for AFG T20Is days after Duleep Trophy final

Social media backlash forces BCCI to live telecast Duleep Trophy final