New Delhi, Sept. 13 -- Legendary India opener Sunil Gavaskar has criticised East Zone for not going for an outright victory in the 2026 Duleep Trophy final against South Zone, despite securing a substantial first-innings lead that eventually helped them claim the title.

The final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai ended in a draw, with East Zone winning the trophy by virtue of their 372-run first-innings lead. Gavaskar, however, questioned the team's approach after they chose to bat again rather than attempt to dismiss South Zone for a second time.

East Zone, who scored 708 runs in the first innings, had an overall lead of 760 in their second innings on the fifth day of the Duleep Trophy final when the captains of both teams, Isha...