Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the upcoming Duleep Trophy for East Zone after failing to recover from the foot injury he sustained last month in a two-wheeler accident. The Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) confirmed his withdrawal and named Aashirwad Swain as his replacement in the squad.
The OCA issued a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying:
“Odisha’s wicketkeeper-batter Aashirwad Swain has been selected for the East Zone squad in the Duleep Trophy, replacing Ishan Kishan! He joins Sandeep Pattnaik in the squad, while Swastik Samal has been named as standby.”
Easwaran Takes Over Captaincy
With Kishan unavailable, his deputy Abhimanyu Easwaran has been handed the captaincy duties. Easwaran, who has captained Bengal in domestic cricket, will now lead a strong East Zone side. Young all-rounder Riyan Parag has been named as the new vice-captain.
Kishan’s Recent Setback
The injury setback comes at a crucial time for Kishan. Last month, after his stint with Nottinghamshire, he was in contention to replace Rishabh Pant in the final Test against England at The Oval. However, the injury ruled him out, and Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan earned a maiden India call-up for the series decider instead.
East Zone’s Campaign
East Zone will open their Duleep Trophy 2025 campaign against North Zone, led by Shubman Gill, in the quarterfinal starting August 28 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) Ground in Bengaluru. The winner of this clash will face South Zone, who are already in the semifinals. Meanwhile, West Zone will play the winner of Central Zone vs Northeast Zone.
Star Names in East Zone Squad
The East Zone squad features several big names, including senior India pacer Mohammed Shami, who has played only one first-class game in the last two years, and Mukesh Kumar, who has been in and out of the national setup. The squad also includes young talents like Riyan Parag, Virat Singh, and new inclusion Aashirwad Swain.
East Zone Squad for Duleep Trophy 2025
Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, Denish Das, Sridam Paul, Sharandeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Riyan Parag (vc), Utkarsh Singh, Manishi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami, Aashirwad Swain (wk)
