East Zone vs South Zone are competing in the Duleep Trophy 2026-27 final, and it’s already shaping up to be one of the more meaningful title clashes in recent seasons. The match started on September 6 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, better known to fans as Chepauk, and it runs across five days.
East Zone captain Ishan Kishan won the toss and chose to bat first. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhimanyu Easwaran walked out to open the innings, and from there the match settled into the rhythm you’d expect from a red-ball final: patient starts, a few close shaves against the new ball, and both sides working out how much the Chepauk surface will help the bowlers as the game wears on.
This is East Zone’s first Duleep Trophy final appearance in 14 years. The last time they reached this stage was the 2012-13 season, when they beat Central Zone, and that final was also played at Chepauk. Coming back to the same ground for a shot at the title after such a long gap gives this match a storyline that goes beyond just the scoreboard.
South Zone, led by Tilak Varma, walked into the final with four changes to their playing XI. Mohammed Siraj, Devdutt Padikkal, Tripurana Vijay and Chama V Milind all came into the side, which tells you a lot about how seriously South Zone are treating this game. Below is everything you need: the live scorecard, both playing XIs, player-by-player context, and answers to the questions people are actually searching for around this match.
Apzo Media is tracking this match through all five days and will keep the scorecard section updated as play progresses.
East Zone vs South Zone Duleep Trophy Final: Latest Update
- Tournament: Duleep Trophy 2026-27
- Match: Final
- Teams: East Zone vs South Zone
- Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
- Dates: September 6 to 10, 2026 (five-day match)
- Toss: East Zone won the toss and chose to bat first
- Status: Live, match in progress
East Zone batted through Day 1 and built a strong platform. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhimanyu Easwaran put on a 100-run opening stand before both fell, with Easwaran contributing 72 off 86 balls. Shikhar Mohan then anchored the middle order and played the innings of the day, reaching 85 off 120 balls before he was dismissed by Chama Milind. Ishan Kishan and Kumar Kushagra have taken over from there, and East Zone have moved to 346 for 4 in 72 overs, with both batters unbeaten and well set.
Because this is a live match, the exact score will keep moving. Treat any specific number below the toss and playing XI details as a snapshot, not a final figure. Check the scorecard section for the latest update before you quote a score anywhere.
East Zone vs South Zone Match Scorecard
East Zone 1st Innings
| Batter | Runs | Balls | How Out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Contributed to a 100-run opening stand | Fell at 14.4 overs, team on 100/1 | Out |
| Abhimanyu Easwaran | 72 | 86 | Out, team on 133/2 (24.1 ov) |
| Sudip Kumar Gharami | Batted through the middle overs | Fell at 30.6 overs, team on 147/3 | Out |
| Shikhar Mohan | 85 | 120 | b Chama Milind, team on 241/4 (52.2 ov) |
| Ishan Kishan (c, wk) | 87* | 104 | Not out |
| Kumar Kushagra | 48* | 64 | Not out |
East Zone total: 346/4 (72.0 overs)
Fall of wickets: 100-1 (Sooryavanshi, 14.4 ov), 133-2 (Easwaran, 24.1 ov), 147-3 (Gharami, 30.6 ov), 241-4 (Mohan, 52.2 ov)
Ishan Kishan and Kumar Kushagra are currently unbeaten and have taken East Zone past the 300 mark, building a fifth-wicket partnership that has kept South Zone’s bowlers, including Tripurana Vijay, without a breakthrough for a long stretch of the middle session.
Sooryavanshi’s individual score at the fall of the first wicket was not confirmed in the sources checked for this update and will be added once verified. South Zone’s bowling figures will be added once East Zone’s innings closes.
Live source: Cricbuzz full scorecard, East Zone vs South Zone Final
South Zone 1st Innings
South Zone are yet to bat. This section will be filled in once East Zone’s first innings ends and South Zone come out to reply.
East Zone vs South Zone Playing XI
East Zone Playing XI (confirmed at toss)
Abhimanyu Easwaran, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Kumar Kushagra, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Shikhar Mohan, Ishan Kishan (captain and wicketkeeper), Md Kounain Quraishi, Anukul Roy, Mohammed Shami, Abhijit K Sarkar, Mukesh Kumar
East Zone kept faith with the same core group that got them through the semifinal, which makes sense given how well that combination worked against Central Zone.
South Zone Playing XI (confirmed at toss)
Ricky Bhui, Narayan Jagadeesan (wicketkeeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Shaik Rasheed, Tilak Varma (captain), Smaran Ravichandran, Shreyas Gopal, Tripurana Vijay, Mohammed Siraj, Chama V Milind, MD Nidheesh
South Zone made four changes for the final: Mohammed Siraj, Devdutt Padikkal, Tripurana Vijay and Chama V Milind all came into the XI. Tilak Varma explained the thinking behind it simply. He felt there was moisture in the pitch on the morning of the match, and with Siraj leading the pace attack, South Zone wanted the extra bowling firepower to take early wickets. It’s a bowling-first move dressed up as a batting-lineup change, and it tells you South Zone expected the ball to move around early.
East Zone Cricket Team vs South Zone Cricket Team Players
Beyond the four names everyone is searching for right now, a few other players matter a lot to how this final plays out.
Ishan Kishan is captaining East Zone and keeping wicket, and he’s the senior India name in the East Zone XI. Mohammed Shami leads their pace attack, and East Zone will lean on him heavily once South Zone bat.
On the South Zone side, Tilak Varma is captaining the team and comes in fresh off a strong semifinal, where he backed up a century in the first innings with a fighting fifty in the second to help push South Zone into the final. Mohammed Siraj is the headline addition to South Zone’s attack, and his experience at the international level is exactly why South Zone brought him in for a match this important.
Abhimanyu Easwaran’s Performance
Abhimanyu Easwaran opened the batting for East Zone and made 72 off 86 balls before he was dismissed. It was the kind of innings a team wants from its most experienced batter in a final: not flashy, but steady enough to absorb the new-ball pressure and give the players coming in behind him a platform to build on. Easwaran has long been one of East Zone’s most reliable domestic batters, and this knock fits that pattern.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the Duleep Trophy Final
Yes, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi played in the Duleep Trophy final. He opened the innings alongside Abhimanyu Easwaran on Day 1. Sooryavanshi has been one of the standout young performers of this Duleep Trophy season. In the semifinal against Central Zone, he played a key role with a quickfire 92 off 81 balls that helped East Zone chase down their target and book a place in this final. Given how much attention his name has been getting in searches around this match, it’s worth being clear: he is very much part of this East Zone XI, not just a name attached to the tournament in general.
Shikhar Mohan and Tripurana Vijay
Shikhar Mohan
Shikhar Mohan batted in East Zone’s middle order and produced the standout individual innings of Day 1 so far, scoring 85 off 120 balls before getting out. Coming in after Easwaran’s dismissal, Mohan took on the responsibility of rebuilding the innings and did exactly that, giving East Zone the kind of substantial middle-order score that finals are usually won or lost on.
Tripurana Vijay
Tripurana Vijay is one of the four players South Zone brought into their final XI. He’s an off-spin bowling allrounder, and his inclusion, alongside the pace addition of Mohammed Siraj, gives South Zone a more balanced attack than the one they used in the semifinal. He’s been used in the bowling attack during East Zone’s innings, contributing overs as South Zone tried to break through East Zone’s middle order.
Duleep Trophy Final: Key Moments
- East Zone win the toss and bat first. Ishan Kishan chose to bat despite South Zone expecting some early moisture in the pitch, a call that paid off as East Zone’s top order settled in.
- Easwaran’s 72 sets the tone. His innings absorbed the new-ball threat from Siraj and gave East Zone a stable start.
- Shikhar Mohan’s 85 becomes the innings of the day. His knock through the middle overs pushed East Zone’s total well past 200 and kept South Zone’s bowlers working for long periods.
- South Zone’s four changes start to show their purpose. Bringing in Siraj, Padikkal, Vijay and Milind was a clear signal that South Zone wanted more firepower for this match specifically, and the bowling attack has reflected that intent throughout Day 1.
This section will keep growing as the match moves into Day 2 and beyond, with new partnerships, big wickets, and turning points added as they happen.
East Zone vs South Zone Live Cricket Match Updates
This match is live, and coverage is ongoing across all five days. If you’re checking in mid-match, here’s what to know:
- The match is being played across September 6 to 10, 2026, so there’s no need to rush for a result on Day 1 alone. First-class finals like this one are often decided on the final day or even by a first-innings lead if time runs out.
- For minute-by-minute ball tracking, ESPNcricinfo and Cricbuzz both run live text commentary throughout play.
- This page will be updated with the latest scoreline and key moments as the match progresses. Once the game ends, this section will be replaced with the final result.
Duleep Trophy Final Result
The match is still in progress, so there is no result yet. This section will be updated with the winner, the margin of victory, and the Player of the Match once the final concludes. If you’re seeing this before the match has ended, check back after Day 5 for the confirmed outcome.
East Zone vs South Zone Head-to-Head
East Zone’s most recent Duleep Trophy final appearance before this one was in the 2012-13 season, when they beat Central Zone. That final was also played at Chepauk, which makes this year’s return to the same ground, 14 years later, a genuinely rare bit of symmetry. A full South Zone versus East Zone head-to-head record across past Duleep Trophy editions would need to be pulled directly from BCCI or ESPNcricinfo’s archives before publishing any specific win-loss count, so treat this section as a starting point rather than a complete history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current East Zone vs South Zone Duleep Trophy final score?
The match is live and the score updates continuously. Check the scorecard section above for the latest confirmed figures, or follow ESPNcricinfo or Cricbuzz for ball-by-ball updates.
Who won the toss in the Duleep Trophy final?
East Zone won the toss and chose to bat first.
Where is the Duleep Trophy 2026-27 final being played?
At the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, from September 6 to 10, 2026.
Did Vaibhav Sooryavanshi play in the Duleep Trophy final?
Yes. He opened the East Zone innings alongside Abhimanyu Easwaran.
How did Abhimanyu Easwaran perform in the final?
He scored 72 off 86 balls opening the batting for East Zone before getting dismissed.
Who is Shikhar Mohan?
Shikhar Mohan is East Zone’s middle-order batter who played the standout innings of Day 1, scoring 85 off 120 balls.
Who is Tripurana Vijay?
Tripurana Vijay is a South Zone off-spin allrounder who was brought into the final XI as one of four changes, alongside Mohammed Siraj, Devdutt Padikkal and Chama V Milind.
Why did South Zone make four changes for the final?
Captain Tilak Varma said the team expected moisture in the pitch and wanted extra bowling strength, so they brought in Mohammed Siraj, Devdutt Padikkal, Tripurana Vijay and Chama V Milind.
Is it “Duleep Trophy” or “Dilip Trophy”?
The correct name is Duleep Trophy, named after cricketer Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji. “Dilip Trophy” is a common misspelling used by many searchers, but it refers to the same tournament.
Who won the Duleep Trophy final? The match is still in progress. This answer will be updated once the final concludes on or before Day 5.
Where can I follow live scores of the Duleep Trophy final?
You can follow this page for regular updates, or check ESPNcricinfo and Cricbuzz for live ball-by-ball commentary throughout the match.
Coverage by Apzo Media. This article will be updated as the East Zone vs South Zone Duleep Trophy final progresses through Day 5.
