East Zone Bowled Out for 708 as Ishan Kishan's 270 and Kushagra's Century Set Up Duleep Trophy Final Day 3

The innings that had already carried Ishan Kishan past 250 and East Zone beyond 500 kept going all the way to the close of day two. East Zone were eventually bowled out for 708 off the final ball of the day's play at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai — their highest total in Duleep Trophy history — setting up South Zone's reply on day three of the final.

Kishan's innings ends on 270

Having retired hurt on 250 and returned to the crease later in the day, Ishan Kishan was finally out for 270, caught at long-on off spinner Tripurana Vijay after facing 334 balls and striking 30 fours and seven sixes. It is his maiden double century in the Duleep Trophy — the eighth-highest individual score in the tournament's history — and makes him the first captain-wicketkeeper to score a double hundred in a Duleep Trophy final, surpassing the 183 Dinesh Karthik made for South Zone in the 2010 final.

Kushagra's supporting century

Kumar Kushagra added a fifth-wicket stand of 230 with his captain before falling himself, caught in the deep off Vijay for 101 from 132 balls, with eight fours and five sixes — his sixth first-class century. The pair batted together for most of the middle session, taking the total from the low 300s to beyond 600 before either fell.

Bowled out off the last ball

South Zone's Tripurana Vijay finished with figures of 4 for 180 off 42 overs, accounting for both centurions along with Sudip Kumar Gharami and last man Mukesh Kumar, whose wicket off the final delivery of the day closed out the innings at 708. It is a workload that reflects how little assistance South Zone's attack found for most of two days against an East Zone batting order in complete control.

A total in rare company at this ground

708 is East Zone's highest team total in Duleep Trophy history, eclipsing what the side had managed in any previous edition of the tournament, and only the third total in excess of 700 recorded at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in first-class cricket history. It leaves South Zone needing a substantial first-innings reply simply to avoid the follow-on, let alone to contest the title on level terms.

What day three needs to answer

Analysis: a target this size, on a pitch that has offered East Zone's batters almost no discomfort across two days, puts South Zone's batting depth under real pressure before a ball has even been bowled in their innings. Whether their top order — including the India-contracted names named in the XI ahead of the final — can bat long enough to avoid the follow-on is now the entire shape of the match; anything short of a substantial reply hands East Zone control of the result with two full days still to bowl South Zone out twice.

Following day three

South Zone's reply is under way at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, with the final continuing through September 10. Follow ball-by-ball scoring on SportGod's live matches page, revisit the day-two build-up in our earlier report, and set fantasy lineups in SportGod's free contests.

Scorecard figures, dismissals and the day-two closing total are verified against same-day match reports from Chennai, current as of September 8, 2026.