After more than two weeks of cricketing action, the Duleep Trophy 2026 is set for its final chapter. East Zone will face South Zone in the final on Sunday, September 6 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The Duleep Trophy serves as India’s red-ball season opener and is traditionally held during August and September. It is not only one of the country’s significant domestic tournaments but also provides a testing ground for players and board looking to make their mark ahead of the international cricket calendar and gives selection clarity.
Duleep Trophy 2026 Final: Match Details
In the final of Duleep Trophy 2026, East Zone skipper won the toss and decided to bat first. Below are all the details of the match, including playing XIs of both teams.
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Parameter
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Details
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Match
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East Zone vs South Zone, Final
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Series
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Duleep Trophy 2026
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Date & Time
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September 6–10, 2026 | 09:30 AM IST
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Venue
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M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai
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Format
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Test (5 Day Match)
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Toss Result
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East Zone won the toss and opted to bat first
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Playing XIs of Both Teams
East Zone: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Kumar Kushagra, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Shikhar Mohan, Ishan Kishan (c/wk), Md Kounain Quraishi, Anukul Roy, Mohammed Shami, Abhijit K Sarkar, Mukesh Kumar
South Zone: Ricky Bhui, Narayan Jagadeesan (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shaik Rasheed, Tilak Varma (c), Smaran Ravichandran, Shreyas Gopal, Tripurana Vijay, Mohammed Siraj, Chama V Milind, MD Nidheesh
Duleep Trophy 2026: Tournament Format and Results So Far
The Duleep Trophy is played in a knockout format featuring six teams. The champions and runners up from the previous season qualify directly for the semi finals, while the remaining four teams compete in the two quarter-finals. The winners of the quarter-finals then face the finalists of the previous season in the semi-finals.
The matches in the earlier rounds are played over four days, while the final is played over five days.
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Stage
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Matchup
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Winner / Outcome
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Summary / Score
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Quarter-Final 1
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East Zone vs North East Zone
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East Zone
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Won by an innings and 210 runs (East 467 vs NE 111 & 146)
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Quarter-Final 2
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North Zone vs West Zone
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North Zone
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Won by 52 runs (North 251 & 222 vs West 187 & 234)
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Semi-Final 1
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Central Zone vs East Zone
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East Zone
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Won by 4 wickets (Central 266 & 158 vs East 266 & 162/6)
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Semi-Final 2
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South Zone vs North Zone
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South Zone
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Won by 7 wickets (North 195 & 297 vs South 312 & 182/3)
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Final (Sept 6–10)
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East Zone vs South Zone
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In Progress
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Currently underway
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With both sides featuring some prominent names eyeing their spot in the Indian Test setup. It will be interesting to see how the game progresses.