Ishan Kishan (BCCI Photo)
The East Zone captain led his team to a massive innings and 210-run win over North East Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru. His previous first-class game was against Baroda in the Ranji Trophy in November 2025. In the nine months between the two matches, Kishan played 59 games across international and domestic cricket, including the IPL. Coming back to the match, East Zone scored 467 in their first innings and then bowled North East Zone out for 111 to enforce the follow-on. North East Zone resumed Tuesday at 7 for 0. Anukul Roy picked up a five-wicket haul as North East Zone were bowled out for 146 in 50 overs. The result gave East Zone a massive innings and 210-run victory.
I think people don’t believe me when I say that smiles, but it’s, I’m being very honest, I really do enjoy red-ball cricket,” Kishan told Cricinfo. “It’s always fun to be part of it because I love that challenge when, you know, yes, it’s easier to bat on flat tracks and it’s fun as well, but the competition which goes around in Test match[es] is some different-level thing,” he said. “Situations will get tricky,” he said in Bengaluru, where the Duleep Trophy is being held. “It will not be easy for us as players to just move around from white ball to red ball, red ball to white ball; change of format, change of gameplay, but that is the fun part about this game,” Kishan said. East Zone’s spinners were getting turn from the pitch but not much bounce, according to Kishan. “We played after a very long time, this match, but I feel the energy was not up to the mark,” Kishan said, “but it can happen in these matches.
“I enjoy red-ball [cricket] very much. The match against North East Zone was Kishan’s 65th first-class appearance.
“When we are going to play the next match, we’ll have to be on our toes. We’ll have to put effort, we [will] have to fight for each and every wicket. So, we’ll look into it. We’ll talk, we’ll have a meeting, and we’ll try and put up a good show in the next game.”