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The Duleep Trophy 2026/2027 marked the beginning of the Indian domestic season on August 23 and will end on September 10. The finalists of this season's Duleep Trophy have been confirmed, as Ishan Kishan’s East Zone will be up against Tilak Varma’s South Zone in the final. Ahead of that, there have been updates on three players, Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Siraj.
Duleep Trophy was being played at the CoE Ground in Bengaluru. There were no fans; however, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) organised a live broadcast. There have been some big names that have been participating in this competition, and they have been amazing in the games they have played in domestic cricket this season.
South Zone gets major boost ahead of Duleep Trophy final
Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Siraj have been asked to play the Duleep Trophy Final as they have no Test cricket to play in the next month. This is a big boost for the South Zone side and Tilak Varma, as these three cricketers have been in good form in the red-ball format and also in last year's Ranji season.
The trio were recently part of the India National Cricket Team squad that won the Test series in Sri Lanka. Padikkal was excellent in the series, and Rahul also had a decent series. Siraj failed to have much impact as India won the two-match Test series 1-0, as the last match was drawn. They will look to fire in the domestic games and carry their form.
Devdutt Padikkal recent form
Devdutt Padikkal has been in sensational form as he was awarded the player of the series for his excellent performance in the two-match series against Sri Lanka. The Southpaw scored two hundreds in three innings and scored a hundred in the warm-up match for the side while batting at No.3 for the first time in international cricket.
The Karnataka captain finished the series with a total of 328 runs, scoring 167 in the first Test and 117 in the second. He was not the first-choice No.3 batter as he came in the side as a replacement for Sai Sudharsan, who was ruled out of the series citing an injury. He showed all the experience and form he gathered playing domestic cricket in subcontinent conditions.
KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj's performance
KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj had a decent outing in the Sri Lanka series. The former scored 82 runs in the first Test and then could not score a fifty, as he failed to convert despite getting set in the match.
Siraj, on the other hand, did not find his rhythm, as he failed to trouble the batters with the new ball. The Hyderabad pacer picked up four wickets in the series and looked a bit fatigued.
Ishan Kishan leads East Zone to final
South Zone in the Duleep Trophy had a win over the North Zone to qualify for the final. In the semi-final, skipper Tilak Varma scored a century. His side won by 7 wickets.
On the other hand, Ishan Kishan helped East Zone to qualify for the final of the tournament after 14 years, as his side completely dominated the Central Zone in the semi-final match.
