Chennai, September 6 (Udaipur Kiran) : The Duleep Trophy 2026 final is underway at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, where East Zone is facing off against South Zone. East Zone captain Ishan Kishan won the toss and opted to bat first.
Kishan expressed confidence in the decision, stating, “The wicket looks good. There is a bit of moisture, but that’s expected on any ground. We need to forget the last game and focus on playing carefully in the first hour while aiming for a big score. Staying humble and disciplined is key.”
On the other hand, South Zone captain Tilak Verma mentioned their intention to bowl first, citing the moisture in the wicket. With a strong pace attack led by Mohammed Siraj, he hopes to take early wickets. South Zone has made four changes to their lineup, bringing in Siraj, Devdutt Padikkal, Vijay, and C.V. Milind.
Both teams have had impressive journeys to the final. East Zone defeated North East Zone by an innings and 210 runs in the quarter-finals and secured their place in the final by beating Central Zone by four wickets in the semi-finals. South Zone reached the final by overcoming North Zone by seven wickets.
The match features several star players who have represented India. East Zone boasts talents such as Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Suryaanshi, Mohammed Shami, and Mukesh Kumar, while South Zone includes Tilak Verma, Devdutt Padikkal, and Mohammed Siraj. The presence of these stars promises an exciting final.
East Zone’s playing XI includes: Ishan Kishan (captain, wicketkeeper), Vaibhav Suryaanshi, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shikhar Mohan, Sudip Gharami, Kumar Kushagra, Anukul Roy, Kunain Qureshi, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, and Abhijit Sarkar.
South Zone’s lineup features: Ricky Bhui, Narayan Jagadeesan (wicketkeeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Sheikh Rasheed, Tilak Verma (captain), Smaran Ravichandran, Shreyas Gopal, Tripurana Vijay, Mohammed Siraj, Chama V. Milind, and M.D. Nidhish.
Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.