Captain Ishan Kishan (270, 334b, 30×4, 7×6) made a resplendent double-century to help East Zone place one hand on the Duleep Trophy 2026 after another dominant day against South Zone at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Monday.
Returning from 111 not out overnight, the 28-year-old ground the South Zone bowling down in a clinical, chanceless innings as he became the third East Zone batter to score 200 after Arun Lal and Saba Karim. He reached his second First-Class double-ton (and his maiden Duleep Trophy century) off 270 deliveries in an innings that lasted 522 minutes in total.
After a bruising first day in the field, South Zone opted to take the new ball just 13 balls into the morning, and while its seam contingent produced a more disciplined showing, it was unable to reap the rewards of its pressure.
Kishan and Kumar Kushagra (101, 132b, 8×4, 5×6) negotiated the first hour with caution before opening up to extend their union beyond 200 runs. Kishan drove Mohammed Siraj and MD Nidheesh each for consecutive boundaries on his way past 150 before Kushagra – who was 63 not out overnight – raised his sixth FC ton.
The Jharkhand batter maturely negotiated some early challenges from Nidheesh and CV Milind before moving into the nineties with a pair of handsome boundaries off the back foot against Shreyas Gopal. He finally reached three figures off 128 balls with a single to leg against Gopal.
However, Kushagra would find himself back in the dugout three balls later courtesy of a miscued pull off Tripurana Vijay, and Anukul Roy, his replacement at the crease, looked uncomfortable initially. He has given out leg-before in the same over from Vijay but survived on review and wore a pair of Siraj bouncers on the helmet and glove. However, he showed enough gumption to make it to Lunch.
The pressure was taken off by Kishan, who cut loose and found his full flow. He showed particular relish in taking down Gopal, who he sent mercilessly to the boundary through the day, and added 79 from 69 balls after the second session.
Kumar Kushagra scored 101 and added 230 runs with Ishan Kishan.
| Photo Credit:
R RAGU
Kumar Kushagra scored 101 and added 230 runs with Ishan Kishan.
| Photo Credit:
R RAGU
By midway through the second session, South Zone skipper Tilak Varma was left with no option but to turn to the part-time spin of Devdutt Padikkal and Shaik Rasheed to make up the overs, and it was former who Kishan dispatched through the offside to reach 200 to wild applause from another strong crowd.
The most danger either batter appeared in through the afternoon was when Kishan reached 250 via a straight drive drilled into Anukul’s midriff. Kishan, who felt the effects of the sweltering Chennai heat, retired hurt a ball later while Anukul’s essay ended five shy of a half-century after he was trapped in front by Rasheed on the stroke of Tea.
That was but small consolation for South Zone though, as Mohammad Kounain Qureshi and Mohammed Shami prolonged their misery with a stand of 54 through a laboured final session.
When Shami finally lost his stumps to Gopal on 28, it seemed less like a breakthrough and more like an opportunity to allow the returning Kishan to bask in the glory of what he had achieved through the day.
It was only fitting then, that it was Kishan that brought up the 700 before he found long-on on 270, as the East Zone innings wrapped up on 708 all out.
Published on Sep 07, 2026
