Ishan Kishan Rewrites Duleep Trophy Record Books With 350 Runs In Final
East Zone captain Ishan Kishan broke a long-standing Duleep Trophy record with his heroics in the 2026 final against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
East Zone captain Ishan Kishan broke a long-standing Duleep Trophy record with his heroics in the 2026 final against South Zone at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. The wicketkeeper-batter scored 270 runs off 344 balls to help his side post a mammoth total of 708 in the first innings. East Zone then bundled out their opponents for 336, taking a massive lead of 372 runs. Continuing his sensational form, Kishan came up with another impactful knock, scoring 80 off 98 balls. The overall performance helped the southpaw become the batter with the most runs in a Duleep Trophy match.
Kishan also became the first batter in Duleep Trophy history to score 350 runs in a match. He comfortably surpassed Raman Lamba's previous record of 320 runs for North Zone against West Zone in Bhilai in October 1987.
After producing an epic knock of 270, Kishan on Monday said he has freed his mind from "overthinking" and "expectations" to focus solely on batting after a turbulent phase in his career, and he is pleased with the ensuing results.
The East Zone skipper saw his monumental effort in the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone as the most visible manifestation of that inner change.
"I didn't actively try to change myself. It just happened naturally. When I was out of the (India) squad, I realised that we ultimately only have one job to do: simply to score runs. That is the only thing that helps you in your career," Kishan said at the post-day press conference.
"Any other thoughts will only manipulate your mindset, push you into overthinking, and pile on unnecessary pressure. I realised that those extraneous thoughts aren't necessary. Our job is to step in and win matches for the team.
"That's all you should care about. You evolve with time, and I feel it is much easier to play this way when you keep your mind clear," he added.
Back in 2023, Kishan was an all-format player for India, but a series of unforeseen events culminated in him even losing his BCCI central contract.
But he put in the hard yards in domestic cricket, scoring hundreds in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy and helping Jharkhand win that season's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 517 runs, including two hundreds.
The BCCI contract and a place in the white-ball formats came calling very soon.
Now, Kishan has distanced himself from those dark days.
"The best thing I'm doing nowadays is not thinking about anything. My job as a batsman is just to go there, watch the ball, and react to it and not keep any expectations from myself," he said.
(With PTI Inputs)
India Cricket Team