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Duleep Trophy Final: The Duleep Trophy final has entered an intriguing phase, but with East Zone already posting a mammoth 708 in their first innings, another question has taken centre stage: who will win the trophy if the match ends in a draw? East Zone produced a huge batting effort in Chennai, with captain Ishan Kishan leading from the front with a stunning 270. Kumar Kushagra also scored a century, while Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Abhimanyu Easwaran had earlier provided a strong platform.

South Zone have since begun their reply, but with the final heading into its later stages, the possibility of a drawn contest cannot be completely ruled out.

Who Wins The Duleep Trophy If Final Is Drawn?

Unlike a league game, the Duleep Trophy final has a specific rule to determine the champion if neither team manages to force a win.

The trophy is not shared in the event of a draw.

Instead, the team holding the first-innings lead is declared the winner. That makes every run in South Zone’s response particularly important.

East Zone have already scored 708, meaning South Zone must cross that total to gain the first-innings advantage.

If they fail to do so and the match eventually ends in a draw, East Zone will be crowned champions.

What Score Does South Zone Need?

The equation is simple. South Zone need to score 709 or more in their first innings to move ahead of East Zone.

A total of 708 would leave the two teams level, while anything below that would give East Zone the first-innings lead.

Therefore, even if South Zone survive long enough to prevent an outright defeat and the five-day final finishes without a result, East Zone would still lift the Duleep Trophy as long as their opponents do not overtake 708.

That also explains why East Zone’s enormous first-innings score could prove decisive even without taking 20 wickets.

Ishan Kishan’s 270 has put his side in an extremely strong position, with the East Zone captain smashing 30 fours and seven sixes during his marathon innings. The team’s total has effectively given them a sizeable cushion in the race for the first-innings lead.

For South Zone, the immediate objective is therefore clear: score at least 709. Anything less could leave them watching East Zone celebrate the trophy even if they successfully avoid an outright defeat.