The Ishan Kishan-led East Zone advanced to the Duleep Trophy 2026 final with a four-wicket win over Rajat Patidar’s Central Zone with three days. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 132 runs in the game, pacers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar tested Central Zone with their lengths as they couldn’t post a threatening target on the board. East Zone had a few hiccups but Kishan ensured that he leads his team to the final which will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium starting September 6.
Central Zone suffer collapse
Central Zone started Day 3 with an overnight score of 45/3. Abhijit K Sarkar got rid of nightwatchman Aryan Pandey early. Pandey scored 10 runs from 23 balls. Then, Shami got into the act dismissing Yash Rathod lbw. Aman Mokhade missed an opportunity to score a half-century. He got lbw to Mukesh for an 89-ball 41. Central Zone lost half the side for 95.
Md Kounain Quraishi was introduced into the attack and he delivered with Rinku Singh's wicket. Rinku, who had scored a fifty in the first innings, was dismissed for a 32-ball 20 in the second. Mukesh made Saransh Jain his fourth victim of the innings. Harsh Dubey and Arshad Khan shared a crucial partnership, taking Central Zone past 100. Shami ended Dubey's stay at the crease with a stunning one-handed caught and bowled. Dubey scored 24 runs from 51 balls. Arshad hit a six and two fours before falling to Anukul Roy. He scored 25 runs from 36 deliveries. Central Zone were bowled out for 158 in 50.2 overs.
Sooryavanshi starts slow, then goes berserk before Patidar’s brilliance
Chasing 159, Sooryavanshi and Abhimanyu Easwaran got off to a cautious start. No boundary was scored in the first seven overs. Then, Sooryavanshi had enough of it and smashed Pandey for a six. A few overs later, Easwaran hit Jain for a maximum. In the 14th over, Sooryavanshi targeted Yash Thakur, hitting him for three fours and a six. But, on the last ball, Patidar pulled off a blinder as the young opener missed his half-century. He scored 40 runs from just 43 deliveries in the 61-run opening partnership.
Dubey stages comeback but Kishan keeps calm in run chase
Dubey made Central Zone believe they can win with the wicket of Easwaran. The opener scored 24 runs from 55 balls. At the end of the second session, East Zone were 72/2, needing 87 more runs. Dubey struck again, dismissing Virat Singh. Skipper Kishan launched a counter-attack. He smashed Dubey for a four and a six. But, Dubey made a comeback by striking twice in an over to sent Kumar Kushagra and Roy packing. East Zone lost half the side for 124.
Sudip Kumar Gharami became Jain's only victim of the innings. He contributed 14 runs from 16 balls. Shami came in to bat and hit Jain for a boundary to get off the mark. On the third ball of the 40th over, Shami hit another boundary to finish the run chase. Kishan remained unbeaten for a 41-ball 39 as East Zone registered a four-wicket win.
Kishan’s East Zone will face the winner of the other semifinal between South Zone and North Zone.