In a big setback for East Zone, captain Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025. The wicketkeeper-batter, who is 27 years old, had been appointed as the captain just a couple of weeks earlier but will now be missing the six-team tournament scheduled to start on August 28 in Bengaluru.
To fill the vacancy, 20-year-old Odisha wicketkeeper-batter Aashirwad Swain has been named as his replacement. The Odisha Cricket Association confirmed the development through an official announcement on social media.
“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.” This will be an important opportunity for Swain, who now steps into a prominent domestic competition.
Leadership Change for East Zone
With Kishan unavailable, the leadership role has now shifted to Bengal’s Abhimanyu Easwaran, who was earlier announced as the deputy. Easwaran, 29, is one of the most experienced players in the squad, having scored 7841 runs in 103 first-class matches so far. His consistent performances in domestic cricket have kept him in the spotlight as a reliable top-order batter.
Ishan Kishan, who has represented India in two Tests, 27 ODIs, and 32 T20Is since his debut in 2021 against England, last appeared in competitive cricket for Nottinghamshire against Somerset in Taunton between June 29 and July 2, where he played a fine knock of 77 runs batting at number six.
His absence from the Duleep Trophy is a blow to the East Zone side, but Easwaran’s appointment as captain brings solid leadership and experience. The squad includes a mix of young talent and seasoned cricketers such as Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, and Riyan Parag, along with Aashirwad Swain stepping in as the new wicketkeeper option.
East Zone vs North Zone Clash
The Duleep Trophy 2025 will begin with East Zone taking on North Zone in the quarterfinals from August 28 to 31 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru. North Zone will be led by India’s opener Shubman Gill, who adds star power to the contest. His squad features promising names such as Yash Dhull, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, and Yudhvir Singh Charak, making the match-up a highly anticipated battle between two strong sides. With Easwaran leading East Zone and Swain stepping in for Kishan, the encounter is expected to provide a competitive start to the tournament.
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