Ishan Kishan Smashes Double Century, Fifth Batter Ever to Do So in Duleep Trophy Final

Ishan Kishan smashed a stunning double century on Day 2 of the Duleep Trophy final, reaching 200 off 270 balls to become just the fifth batter in Duleep Trophy final history to achieve the feat, and the first East Zone wicketkeeper-batter to do so.

Kishan, who had ended Day 1 unbeaten on 111, continued his charge into the second day, first crossing his previous best Duleep Trophy score of 112, then bringing up the milestone with a boundary off Devdutt Padikkal. It marks the third double century of his career, following a 273 against Delhi in the 2016 Ranji Trophy and a 210 against Bangladesh in a 2022 ODI. Along the way, he shared a 202-run stand with fellow centurion Kumar Kushagra, who fell for 101, before continuing to build with Anukul Roy as East Zone surged past 550 runs.

Only Arun Lal (twice, in 1986-87) and Saba Karim (unbeaten, 1995-96) had previously scored double centuries for East Zone in a Duleep Trophy final, making Kishan just the third player in the zone's history and the fifth overall across the tournament's history to reach the landmark in a final. The knock puts East Zone in a commanding position, with South Zone facing a daunting task to stay competitive as the captain continues to bat freely against an increasingly tired bowling attack.