Duleep Trophy Final: Tilak Varma, Mohammed Siraj’s Exhausted Reactions Sum Up South Zone’s Nightmare (WATCH)

Tilak Varma and Mohammed Siraj looked exhausted after East Zone posted 708 in the Duleep Trophy Final. South Zone toiled for over 160 overs in Chennai’s heat, with their drained reactions going viral as they faced a huge deficit.

South Zone skipper Tilak Varma and veteran pacer Mohammed Siraj were spotted looking completely drained during the ongoing Duleep Trophy Final against Ishan Kishan-led East Zone at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Across two days of the Duleep Trophy Final, South Zone bowlers and fielders toiled under the unforgiving Chennai sun, with Ishan Kishan's relentless batting masterclass pushing them to the absolute brink. Eventually, East Zone was bundled out for 708/ in 163 overs, with Ishan’s monumental 270 remaining the cornerstone of their massive total.

Tripurana Vijay led the South Zone’s bowling attack with figures of 4/180 at an economy rate of 4.30 in a gruelling spell of 42 overs. Shreyas Gopal (2/165) and Chama Milind (2/88) also chipped in with vital breakthroughs, but finding regular wickets proved nearly impossible against East Zone’s deep batting lineup.

Tilak, Siraj’s Exhausted Reactions Go Viral

As East Zone racked up runs well past the 700-run mark, the camera frequently panned to the South Zone dugout, capturing the sheer toll of the grueling Chennai conditions. Tilak Varma and Mohammed Siraj were among the most expressive, mirroring the physical exhaustion of a side that had spent over 160 overs under extreme duress.

In a video that went viral on social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), Tilak and Siraj were mimicking their exhaustion with exaggerated groans and slumped postures as the camera caught them. Tilak was spotted walking back to the dressing room when a section of fans wanted his autograph, but he appeared too exhausted to stop.

Siraj, on the other hand, was fielding near the boundary when he was seen bending over with his hands on his knees and then pointing towards the sky, indicating that Chennai’s humidity and heat had taken a significant toll on him.

Look at Tilak Varma and Siraj’s reaction 😂🔥

Everyone looks absolutely exhausted — they barely have the energy to stand! 😄

Ishan Kishan and his Paltan have completely drained South Zone in Chennai’s hot and humid conditions. pic.twitter.com/X3rMcutxYw

— Mukku (@Cric_Mukku) September 7, 2026

Mohammad Siraj went crazy 😂🔥

Miya bhai telling the Chennai crowd, “I’m done, bro! It’s not easy playing in this hot and humid weather.” 😭 pic.twitter.com/jMyDDlPPvY

— Mukku (@Cric_Mukku) September 6, 2026

East Zone made South Zone’s bowling attack toil relentlessly, with the batters piling on runs and forcing the fielders to spend long hours in the scorching Chennai conditions. On the opening day, East Zone posted a total of 385/4 in 79 overs, before another 323 runs were added on the second day to take their total to a mammoth 708/10 in 163 overs.

The veteran pacer Mohammed Siraj had a forgettable outing in the first innings as he went wicketless while conceding 140 runs at an economy rate of 5.60 in his spell of 25 overs.

Can South Zone Overtake East Zone’s First-Innings Total?

East Zone posted the joint seventh-highest total in the history of the Duleep Trophy, putting South Zone under immense pressure to produce a strong response with the bat. The 708-run first-innings total by the Ishan Kishan-led side leaves South Zone needing an extraordinary batting effort just to stay afloat.

South Zone needs to score at least 508 runs in order to avoid a follow-on, a formidable mountain to climb as they begin their reply under intense pressure at Chepauk. The opening pair of Ricky Bhiu and N Jagadeeshan will have an arduous task of withstanding the initial new-ball burst from East Zone’s pace attack and anchoring the innings when play resumes on Day 3.

Devdutt Padikkal, who recently had an impressive outing in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, will now carry that rich vein of red-ball form into the middle order as South Zone looks to stabilize. The skipper, Tilak Varma, who scored unbeaten 116 and 51 in the semifinal against North Zone, will now need to channel that same grit as they step up to anchor their side's response in Chennai.

Shaik Rasheed and Smaran Ravichandran will also bolster the middle order, adding crucial technical stability and resilience to a batting lineup that must rise to the occasion.

Meanwhile, East Zone’s bowling attack has the likes of veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who is playing his 100th first-class match, Ankul Roy, and Mukesh Kumar, giving Ishan Kishan’s side plenty of experience and firepower to defend their mammoth first-innings total.