Duleep Trophy Winning Captains From 1961 To 2026

Duleep Trophy winning captains (Source: Web)

The 63rd edition of one of India’s most prestigious domestic competitions, the Duleep Trophy, concluded on September 10, 2026, with East Zone winning its third title. Ishan Kishan-led East Zone secured the Duleep Trophy 2026 by defeating South Zone after taking the first-innings lead at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

After smashing 708, batting first, East Zone trekked to 388 for seven in their second innings, swelling the overall lead to 760 runs. The teams shook hands at 2:11 PM, signalling a draw.

This was only the third instance of East Zone winning the title. Their previous two triumphs came in succession more than a decade ago — in 2011 and 2012 under Natraj Behera’s captaincy.

Ishan Kishan's East Zone wins Duleep Trophy 2026 beating South Zone

Despite struggling early in the tournament, having only scored 59 runs in 2 games, East Zone skipper Ishan Kishan made a stunning 270 in the first innings of the Duleep Trophy 2026 final. He followed it up with yet another stunning 80 in the second innings to underline his red-ball readiness.

Veteran Indian pacer Mohammad Shami, who was playing in his 100th first-class match, put to shame some younger names with a spirited effort.

On top of that, Kumar Kushagra scored his sixth first-class hundred while his Jharkhand teammate Shikhar Mohan made a fifty filled with class and poise.

Above all, beyond his record-breaking knock, Kishan showcased impressive strategic awareness while leading East. 

Also read: Duleep Trophy Winners List From 1961/62 To 2026/27

Be it his use of bowlers like Mohammad Shami or staying aggressive throughout the game despite a massive first innings total, Kishan imposed the importance of a leader who leads from the front.

That being said, in this article, let’s take a look at a detailed list of Duleep Trophy winning captains from 1961 to 2026.

Duleep Trophy Winning Captains

It is worth noting that the inaugural edition of the coveted red-ball tournament was won by West Zone, led by the former Indian captain Nari Contractor. West Zone is also the most successful team in the history of the Duleep Trophy, with 19 titles to their name.

This included four consecutive titles from 1961 to the 1964 season, although one of these was shared with South Zone in 1963.

Check out the list of Duleep Trophy winning captains over the years:

Which captain has won the most Duleep Trophy titles?

Under Motganhalli Jaisimha and Chandrakant Borde, South Zone and West Zone, respectively, shared the Duleep Trophy title in the 1963-64 season.  

Both Jaisimha and Borde left a significant mark on the coveted red-ball competition, winning the title 4 times each, the most by any captain.

Apart from the shared 1963-64 season, Motganhalli Jaisimha led South Zone to wins in the finals of 1965/66, 1966/67, and 1967/68. While Chandrakant Borde captained West Zone to Duleep Trophy titles in the 1964/65, 1968/69, and 1969/70.

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