Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the upcoming Duleep Trophy, dealing a major setback to the East Zone, which had earlier named him as captain for the domestic red-ball competition. The tournament, featuring six zonal teams, is scheduled to begin on August 28 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru.

While the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) did not specify the exact reason for his unavailability, it is understood that Kishan has not fully recovered from the foot injury he sustained last month after falling off a two-wheeler. The southpaw had received stitches following the incident and has reportedly needed more time to regain fitness.

In an official post on X (formerly Twitter), the OCA stated that Odisha wicketkeeper-batter Aashirwad Swain has been selected for the East Zone squad, replacing Ishan Kishan. “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,” the post read.

Easwaran to Lead East Zone in Kishan’s Absence

Kishan’s withdrawal means that Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was originally named vice-captain, will now take over as captain of the East Zone side. Easwaran—who has led Bengal and India A in the past—brings experience and stability to the leadership role as the team prepares for its first qualifier against North Zone, beginning August 28.

Kishan’s injury setback comes just weeks after he returned from a short county stint with Nottinghamshire and was under consideration as a potential replacement for Rishabh Pant in the final Test against England at The Oval. Due to the injury, however, he missed out and N Jagadeesan was handed a maiden Test call-up instead.

Updated East Zone Squad for Duleep Trophy (2025)

• Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain)

• Sandeep Patnaik

• Virat Singh

• Denish Das

• Sridam Paul

• Sharandeep Singh

• Kumar Kushagra

• Riyan Parag

• Utkarsh Singh

• Manishi

• Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal

• Mukesh Kumar

• Akash Deep

• Mohammed Shami

• Aashirwad Swain (wk)

Tournament Outlook

The East Zone vs North Zone qualifier will open the tournament on August 28. The winner of that match will face the South Zone, while the West Zone awaits the winner of the Central Zone vs Northeast Zone quarter-final in the other semi-final.
The absence of Kishan will certainly be felt, especially in terms of explosive batting and experience behind the stumps, but the East Zone will take confidence from the availability of senior pacers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, as well as young talents such as Riyan Parag and Virat Singh.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Ishan Kishan’s withdrawal from the Duleep Trophy due to injury is a significant blow for East Zone ahead of the tournament opener. However, the inclusion of Aashirwad Swain and the elevation of Abhimanyu Easwaran to captaincy provide the squad with continuity and balance.
As the six-team competition begins later this month, all eyes will be on how the East Zone adapts without its original captain and whether the replacement wicketkeeper rises to the challenge in what promises to be an exciting season of domestic red-ball cricket.

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