Ishan Kishan ruled out of Duleep Trophy, Abhimanyu Easwaran to lead East Zone

Published - August 18, 2025 16:32:11
Updated - August 18, 2025 16:32:11

By Anjali Sharma

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025-26, which comes as a big blow for the East Zone team. The 27-year-old was slated to lead the team in the tournament, but he is still recovering from a foot injury he sustained last month after a fall from his scooter, which required stitches.

The Odisha Cricket Association(OCA) confirmed that Aashriwad Swain, a 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Odisha, has been called up as Kishan’s replacement in the team. Swain will join the East Zone squad alongside players like Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, and Kumar Kushagra. Standby players such as Swastik Samal and others have been retained in case further changes are needed.

Abhimanyu Easwaran to lead the East Zone

With Kishan unavailable, vice-captain Abhimanyu Easwaran has been promoted to captain the East Zone side. Easwaran brings significant first-class experience, having played over 100 matches, and will lead the squad in the opening match against North Zone, captained by Shubman Gill, starting August 28 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru.

In addition to Kishan’s absence, East Zone pacer Akash Deep has also been advised to rest and will miss the tournament opener. Assam’s Mukhtar Hussain has been called up as his replacement in the team. Riyan Parag has been appointed as vice-captain following Easwaran’s promotion.

Updated East Zone Squad for Duleep Trophy 2025

Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain), Ashirwad Swain (Wicketkeeper), Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, Danish Das, Sridam Paul, Sharandeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Riyan Parag, Utkarsh Singh, Manishi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami.

With it, Ishan Kishan’s recovery will continue at the BCCI Centre of Excellence(CoE) in Bengaluru, and his absence from the Duleep Trophy opener is purely precautionary. His return is expected in the upcoming India A fixtures against Australia, allowing him to regain full fitness before the international season commences.