Chennai, September 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
East Zone captain Ishan Kishan credited team unity and a collective effort after leading his side to their third Duleep Trophy title and first in 13 years at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.
East Zone secured the title against South Zone on the strength of their massive first-innings lead. Kishan played a pivotal role, producing a marathon 270 in the first innings before contributing 80 in the second innings of the final.
“We won this title as a group. Everyone was taking care of each other, which was the most important thing for me,” Kishan said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
The wicketkeeper-batter, who also led Jharkhand to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in the 2025-26 season, said his development as a captain had been shaped by his time away from the national team.
“I think it was more about being calmer after the break, being more into the game, knowing what’s important and being aware of how you are reading the situation,” he said.
Kishan stressed the importance of supporting teammates and helping them remain focused during difficult moments.
“I was just trying to help everyone and it’s been a good transformation for me as well. I’ve been more calm, more aware of situations and there is more hunger. You want to perform for your team. You need to make your team win, and that is something which changed in me,” he added.
Kishan also acknowledged that there was still room for improvement in all departments, including batting and fielding.
“You need to keep getting better in all the departments. Whether you’re fielding or batting, there are always some mistakes. So we just need to rectify that and get better day by day,” he said.
Asked about retaining his playful personality, Kishan joked that the trait would remain with him well into old age.
“That is going to be there till I turn 90,” he said with a smile.
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