East Zone end 13-year drought with dominant Duleep Trophy victory

East Zone secured the Duleep Trophy on the final day of their summit clash here on Thursday, ending a 13-year wait for the prestigious domestic title. Their victory was built on the foundation of a mammoth first-innings total of 708 runs, which granted them a substantial 372-run advantage over South Zone.

Continuing their dominant run, East amassed 388 for seven in their second innings before the match concluded in a draw, extending their overall lead to 760 runs. The performance underscored East's sustained excellence over the preceding 12 editions of the tournament, finally converting their consistent performances into a championship.

Mohammad Kounian Quraishi marked his second first-class outing with an unbeaten 116, his maiden three-figure score in the longer format. The young batsman's milestone came off 179 balls, sealed with a boundary off South Zone's CV Milind. Quraishi shared a productive 150-run partnership with Anukul Roy, who contributed 64 runs, for the seventh-wicket stand that anchored East's second-innings push.

The teams formally acknowledged the result at 2:10 pm as East's overwhelming advantage made a South Zone recovery impossible despite the match's drawn conclusion. The trophy represents vindication of East Zone's consistent strength in recent Duleep Trophy campaigns.