Ishan Kishan smashes maiden first-class double century in Duleep Trophy Final

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Indian opener Ishan Kishan maintained his brilliant form in major matches by registering his maiden first-class double hundred for East Zone against South Zone in the Duleep Trophy final on Monday.

The Jharkhand captain reached the 200-run mark in 270 deliveries, hitting 26 boundaries and two sixes during the final match of the Duleep Trophy.

Kishan continued his aggressive assault on a tiring South Zone attack to push past 250. Severe cramps eventually forced him to retire hurt on 250 from 301 balls, an innings featuring 27 fours and seven maximums.

This marathon innings adds to a remarkable run of form in crucial matches. The dynamic left-hander previously smashed a 49-ball 101 against Haryana in last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final, finishing that tournament with 517 runs to earn an international recall.

His return with the Indian men’s team proved successful during the New Zealand series and the home T20 World Cup, where he accumulated 317 runs in nine innings. Key contributions included 39 against England in the Wankhede semifinal and 54 against New Zealand in the final at Ahmedabad, which helped the hosts over the line.

Kishan also enjoyed an outstanding Indian Premier League campaign with Sunrisers Hyderabad, amassing 602 runs in 15 innings at an average of 40.13 and a strike rate of 182.42, including a lightning 11-ball 33 in the eliminator against Rajasthan Royals.

East Zone dominate Duleep Trophy final

If Ishan Kishan returns to the crease, he could join Raman Lamba (320 in 1987) and Gagan Khoda (300* in 2001) as only the third batter to score a triple century in a Duleep Trophy final.

His double ton puts him in elite company alongside Lamba, MAK Pataudi, Anshuman Gaekwad, Cheteshwar Pujara, Yousuf Pathan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal as players with double hundreds in the tournament’s final match.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, East Zone dominated Day 2 to surge past the 600-run mark. Alongside Kishan’s 250, Kumar Kushagra scored a rapid 101 off 132 balls, Shikhar Mohan made 85, and opener Abhimanyu Easwaran added 72.

Earlier, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was dismissed for a quickfire 44 runs in 37 balls as East Zone dominated from the off.

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