East Zone and South Zone will meet in the Duleep Trophy 2026-27 final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from September 6 to 10, with both sides looking to end their campaigns with the prestigious domestic title.
East Zone booked its place in the final with a nervy four-wicket win over defending champion Central Zone in Bengaluru. After both teams finished their first innings on 266, East Zone’s bowlers seized control in the second innings as Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar shared seven wickets to bowl Central out for 158.
Chasing 159, East Zone made a brisk start through Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhimanyu Easwaran. Sooryavanshi’s 40 helped set up the chase before a mini-collapse briefly gave Central hope. Ishan Kishan, however, held the innings together with an unbeaten 39 as East Zone reached the target with four wickets remaining.
South Zone, meanwhile, secured the second final spot by beating North Zone by seven wickets. Captain Tilak Varma was central to its campaign, scoring an unbeaten 116 in the first innings of the semifinal to give South a substantial advantage.
The final will bring East Zone back to a venue that holds particularly happy memories. Its last Duleep Trophy title came in 2012-13, when it defeated Central Zone on first-innings lead in a drawn five-day final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. East posted 232 before bowling Central out for 189, securing a 43-run first-innings advantage. It was East Zone’s second successive Duleep Trophy title.
Duleep Trophy 2026-27 final: East Zone vs South Zone
Date: September 6-10, 2026
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Start time: 9:30 AM IST
Format: Five-day First-Class match
Teams: East Zone vs South Zone
Why is the Duleep Trophy final being played in Chennai?
The tournament was initially scheduled to be played entirely at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. However, the BCCI moved the final to the MA Chidambaram Stadium so fans could watch the title clash at the stadium.
East Zone vs South Zone: recent Duleep Trophy history
South Zone will be looking to go one step further after losing last season’s final to Central Zone. Central, led by Rajat Patidar, won the 2025-26 title after securing a commanding first-innings advantage in the final.
East Zone, meanwhile, has reached the final for the first time since 2012-13. Its last appearance at this stage ended with it lifting the trophy at the same venue where this year’s final will be played.
Where to watch Duleep Trophy 2026-27 final live?
The Duleep Trophy 2026-27 final will be available to watch live in India. The tournament is being streamed live on JioHotstar, while the final is also scheduled for television coverage on Star Sports Network.
Published on Sep 02, 2026
