Vaibhav Sooryavanshi may have been among the early contributors for East Zone in the Duleep Trophy final, but it was captain Ishan Kishan who eventually stole the show with a breathtaking double century against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Sooryavanshi opened the innings for East Zone and made a brisk 44 off 37 deliveries. During the match, former India cricketer and commentator Vivek Razdan used Kishan’s remarkable innings to offer some advice to the teenage batter.
“Sooryavanshi sahab, now you have to learn from players like Ishan Kishan. Once you are set, you have to learn how to play a long innings,” Razdan said on commentary.
The message came as Kishan continued to pile on the runs and turn the final into a one-sided contest.
Ishan Kishan takes East Zone past 700
Resuming on 385/4, East Zone’s batters showed little sign of slowing down. South Zone turned to the new ball in search of wickets, but Mohammad Siraj and MD Nidheesh struggled to make an impact.
Kishan immediately put pressure on the bowlers, collecting consecutive boundaries against Siraj before taking on Nidheesh. Kumar Kushagra also joined the assault as South Zone rotated between pace and spin.
Kushagra eventually completed his sixth first-class century, scoring 101 from 132 balls with eight fours and five sixes. His dismissal shortly before lunch finally gave South Zone a breakthrough.
Kishan, meanwhile, remained in complete control.
The East Zone captain repeatedly found gaps in the field and punished anything loose. Even when South Zone introduced part-timers Devdutt Padikkal and Shaikh Rasheed, the flow of runs did not stop.
Kishan brought up his double century from 270 balls and continued attacking thereafter. He raced beyond 250 before fatigue briefly forced him to retire from the field.
East Zone continued marching towards a massive total, eventually crossing 600 and then 700. When Mohammed Shami was dismissed for a quick 28, Kishan returned to the crease with the possibility of reaching an extraordinary triple century.
Kishan falls 30 short of triple century
Kishan’s pursuit of 300 ultimately came to an end when he was caught near the long-on boundary. The left-hander departed for a monumental 270 from 334 balls, having smashed 30 fours and seven sixes.
His innings was the eighth-highest individual score in Duleep Trophy history and formed the backbone of East Zone’s mammoth 708 all out.
Razdan had earlier highlighted not just the quality of Kishan’s batting but also the physical demands of staying at the crease for such an extended period.
“Every person who is present here at this time stood up and applauded this innings. Because this is not just technique, this is not just temperament, this is also match fitness. To stay out there for so long in such heat and play an innings like this. What an innings by Ishan Kishan.”
Kishan’s marathon effort, alongside Kushagra’s century, ensured East Zone posted more than 700 for only the third time in first-class cricket history at Chepauk.
For Sooryavanshi, who had already made an impact with his 44, Razdan’s message was clear: scoring quickly is only part of the equation. The next step is learning how to convert a start into a substantial innings, much like Kishan did in the Duleep Trophy final.
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