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East Zone will be aiming to go one step further and lift the Duleep Trophy 2026 when they take on South Zone in the final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, starting September 6. Ishan Kishan’s side secured their place in the summit clash after edging past defending champions Central Zone by four wickets in a thrilling semi-final in Bengaluru.
The East Zone management will be encouraged by the way their players stepped up under pressure. Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar shared seven wickets between them, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi made a significant impact with scores of 92 and 40 across the two innings. Ishan Kishan also remained unbeaten on 39 during the successful chase.
With most of the key players expected to retain their spots, here is the predicted East Zone XI for the final.
Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to continue as one of East Zone’s opening batters. The Bengal veteran provides stability at the top and has the experience required to negotiate the new ball in a five-day encounter.
Easwaran scored 69 in the first innings against Central Zone and will be expected to play the anchor’s role alongside the aggressive Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is almost certain to retain his place after producing a superb semi-final. The teenage sensation smashed 92 in the first innings and followed it up with 40 in the chase, finishing with 132 runs in the match.
His attacking approach could be particularly valuable against South Zone’s experienced bowling attack.
Virat Singh is expected to slot in at No. 3. The left-handed batter did not make a major contribution in the semi-final, but East Zone are unlikely to make an unnecessary change to their successful combination.
His ability to build partnerships will be important against South Zone’s quality seamers.
Kumar Kushagra could continue behind the stumps if East Zone decide to give Ishan Kishan a more prominent batting role while managing his workload.
Kushagra scored 22 in the second innings against Central Zone and also took over the wicketkeeping duties after Kishan suffered a wrist injury during the semi-final.
Ishan Kishan remains one of the most important members of this East Zone side. The captain struck an unbeaten 39 during the semi-final chase and guided his team through a tense finish.
There had been concerns after Kishan suffered a wrist injury while keeping in the semi-final. However, reports suggest that both Kishan and Sooryavanshi could feature in the final before joining India’s T20I setup.
If fit, Kishan should lead the side.
Shahbaz Ahmed could return to the XI as the specialist all-rounder. His left-arm spin provides East Zone with an additional option in Chennai, while his batting gives the side useful depth.
With the final being played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, having a quality spin-bowling all-rounder could prove particularly valuable.
Anukul Roy is another player who could be preferred for his left-arm spin and lower-order batting. He provides East Zone with a second specialist spin option and can contribute useful runs if the top order fails.
His presence would also allow Ishan Kishan to rotate his bowling resources depending on the pitch conditions.
Mohammed Shami will be the spearhead of the East Zone pace attack. The veteran fast bowler played a key role in eliminating Central Zone, finishing with three wickets in the semi-final.
His experience and ability to extract movement with the older ball could make him a major threat to South Zone’s strong batting lineup.
Mukesh Kumar was arguably East Zone’s biggest match-winner in the semi-final. He claimed seven wickets across the two innings, including figures of 3/56 and 4/44, and was subsequently named Player of the Match.
Given his form, there is little reason for East Zone to leave him out of the final.
Abhijit K Sarkar is likely to retain his place as the third frontline seamer. He provides another pace option alongside Shami and Mukesh and can attack the stumps consistently.
His role could become particularly important if Chennai offers assistance to the seamers early in the Test.
Md Kounain Quraishi could complete the XI as the additional bowling option. His inclusion would give East Zone greater depth and allow the captain to maintain pressure across long spells.
The final decision could depend on the surface and whether the team wants an extra spinner or seamer.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Virat Singh, Kumar Kushagra (WK), Ishan Kishan (C), Shahbaz Ahmed, Anukul Roy, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Abhijit K Sarkar, Md Kounain Quraishi
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