Ishan Kishan Shines with Record 270 in Duleep Trophy Final
Kishan's Historic Performance
In a remarkable display of skill, former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh extended his congratulations to Ishan Kishan after the wicket-keeper batsman scored an impressive 270 runs against South Zone during the Duleep Trophy final at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday.
Kishan's innings for East Zone was nothing short of spectacular, as he amassed 270 runs off 334 deliveries, including 30 boundaries and seven sixes. He achieved his first double century in the Duleep Trophy off just 270 balls and surpassed the 4,000-run milestone in first-class cricket. Although he initially retired hurt after reaching 250, he returned to the pitch to continue his dominant performance, eventually being dismissed while attempting a catch off spinner Tripurana Vijay. His extraordinary innings propelled East Zone to a formidable total of 708 all out.
Yuvraj Singh took to Instagram to commend Kishan's outstanding performance, labeling it a remarkable achievement, especially in a final. He noted that this innings provided East Zone with a significant edge as they progressed in the tournament.
Yuvraj stated, "Congratulations Ishan, on a splendid innings! A record-breaking knock of 250 not out is special, especially in a final. I’m sure this innings has given East Zone a great advantage going into the final of the tournament!"
With this monumental score, Kishan became the third player from East Zone to hit a double-century in the Duleep Trophy, joining the ranks of Arun Lal and Saba Karim. Lal holds the record for the highest score among them, with 287 runs against West Zone in 1986, while Karim scored an unbeaten 200 against West Zone in 1995.
Additionally, Kishan made history as the first captain-wicketkeeper from East Zone to score a double century in a Duleep Trophy final, as noted in an Instagram post by Star Sports India. Overall, he became the seventh player to achieve this feat in the tournament's finals.
As Day 2 of the Duleep Trophy final unfolded, East Zone, despite losing some wickets, managed to post a staggering total of 708 all out in 163 overs.
Kishan and his partner Kushagra resumed their innings from Day 1, adding 230 runs for the fifth wicket, which solidified East Zone's control after concluding Day 1 at 385/4.
Kushagra reached his first century in the Duleep Trophy, scoring 101 runs off 132 balls, hitting eight fours and five sixes before being caught in the deep off Vijay.
The partnership between Kishan and Kushagra was pivotal, taking East Zone past the 450-run mark before Kushagra's dismissal.
Kishan continued to dominate alongside Anukul Roy, leading East Zone to surpass 500 and then 550 runs. He reached his double century before retiring hurt at 250, with East Zone at 611/5.
Anukul Roy contributed a valuable 45 runs before being dismissed leg before wicket after a review by South Zone. Mohammed Shami added 28 runs before falling to Shreyas Gopal.
Despite losing wickets in the final session, East Zone continued to accumulate runs, surpassing the 700-run mark, leaving South Zone's bowlers with a daunting task.
South Zone's bowling attack struggled to contain the East Zone batsmen, with Mohammed Siraj, the leading fast bowler, failing to take a wicket and conceding runs heavily. Chama Milind and Tripurana Vijay were the most effective bowlers, each claiming two wickets but conceding over 130 runs.
East Zone had a strong start on Day 1, with Abhimanyu Easwaran scoring 72 and teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi contributing a brisk 44. Shikhar Mohan added 85 runs before Kishan took center stage with an unbeaten 111 at stumps.
With East Zone's batting depth and their substantial first-innings total, South Zone faces a significant challenge as they prepare to respond.
The final match is being held from September 6 to 10 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with East Zone winning the toss and opting to bat first.