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Ishan Kishan did not allow fatigue to cut his moment short in the Duleep Trophy 2026 Final between East Zone and South Zone. The East Zone captain started from the halfway point of Day and continued till the middle of Day 2 before retiring hurt from the ground. When Ishan was walking off from the field, he had already touched the 250-run milestone with individual brilliance.
The gut, grit, skill, and will Ishan showed throughout his innings is a must-learn lesson for the youngster. On Day 2 of the match, addressing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi directly, Vivek Razdan, during his commentary work, said that Sooryavanshi must learn from Ishan Kishan how to convert a good start into a mammoth innings.
"To stay out there": Vivek Razdan asks Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to learn from Ishan Kishan
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi offered East Zone a good start with his usual attacking batting style. But it was another instance when the southpaw was dismissed before claiming a big score. The opener went for 44 runs from 37 balls, smashing the South Zone bowlers for five fours and one six.
"Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sahab, now you have to learn from players like Ishan Kishan — once you are set, how to play a long innings. Every person who is present here at this time stood up and applauded this innings."
"Because this is not just technique, this is not just temperament; this is also match fitness. This is match fitness. To stay out there for so long in so much heat and play an innings like this. What an innings by Ishan," Vivek Razdan said to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Ishan Kishan performs under the Chennai heat
Undoubtedly, Ishan Kishan's knock is an example of how a batter should perform in multi-day matches, without making any fuss or losing concentration. It is also worth remembering that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is only 15, with still plenty of room for learning.
When Ishan was batting at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, the sun was at its peak; the temperature was around 36 degrees Celsius. The milestone innings for the 2026 Duleep Trophy final not only tested the skipper's batting skills, technique and temperament, but also tested his body under the heat of Chennai.
Ishan's innings came at a time when the Indian team management is heavily concerned about some of their key players' fitness issues. As Vivek Razdan mentioned, Ishan Kishan's long-standing innings was also about match fitness.
East Zone registers 708 runs in their first innings of 2026 Duleep Trophy Final
The middle-order batter resumed his batting again after receiving some medical support outside the ground. When he retired hurt, East Zone was on 611 runs with five more batters waiting for their turns in the dugout, and Ishan himself was on 250 runs, facing 301 balls.
At the end of Day 2, East Zone's first innings concluded with a total of 708 runs. Ishan was dismissed after scoring 270 runs off 334 balls. The 28-year-old's knock was laced with thirty 4s and seven 6s. They are well ahead in the match.
