Ishan Kishan led East Zone to an impressive victory by an innings and 210 runs over North East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. Speaking in Bengaluru after the match, the 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batter reflected on the mental and technical challenges of adapting between red-ball and white-ball formats. Embracing the Format Shift: Kishan acknowledged that transitioning quickly between white-ball and red-ball formats can be tricky and demanding, but called that exact challenge "the fun part about this game." First-Class Return: The match marked Kishan's 65th first-class appearance. Having played 59 matches across white-ball domestic and international cricket—including the IPL—since his previous first-class game in November 2025, he admitted to feeling initial rust, notably getting caught behind for 4 after playing an involuntary shot. Passion for Red-Ball Cricket: Despite being viewed primarily as a white-ball specialist, Kishan expressed a genuine love for Test and red-ball cricket, highlighting the intense competition and technical battle it demands over flat tracks. Spin Victory & Semi-Final Focus: After East Zone enforced the follow-on, spinner Anukul Roy picked up five wickets to bowl out North East Zone for 146. Kishan noted that East Zone will need higher intensity when they face Central Zone in the semi-finals starting August 30.