Ishan Kishan Ruled Out of Duleep Trophy Opener, Akash Deep Rested as Precaution

Ishan Kishan Ruled Out of Duleep Trophy Opener, Akash Deep Rested as Precaution

Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of East Zone’s opening match in the Duleep Trophy due to a minor injury sustained during his stint with Nottinghamshire in the UK. According to ESPNcricinfo, Kishan required multiple stitches and is yet to fully recover, prompting selectors to take a precautionary approach and leave him out of the squad.

As a result, Odisha’s wicketkeeper-batter Aashirwad Swain has been named as Kishan’s replacement in the East Zone squad for the quarterfinal clash against North Zone, scheduled to begin on August 28 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

The injury also explains Kishan’s absence from the Indian Test squad as a potential back-up wicketkeeper for the recently concluded fifth Test against England at The Oval. Instead, Tamil Nadu’s N Jagadeesan was brought in to support Dhruv Jurel.

Kishan’s injury is not considered serious, and the move to rest him is seen as a precaution, particularly with India A’s upcoming two-match four-day home series against Australia in sight. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation and a fitness assessment at the CoE in Bengaluru. In his absence, Jharkhand’s Kumar Kushagra is likely to don the gloves for East Zone.

Akash Deep Also Rested

East Zone have also suffered a second blow with India pacer Akash Deep being advised rest. While the nature of his niggle or injury hasn't been disclosed, he is expected to undergo a fitness assessment at a later date.

Akash recently returned to the Indian Test squad for the series decider against England at The Oval, where he impressed with a maiden Test half-century and consistent bowling performances throughout the series. He finished with 13 wickets in three Tests, including a match-winning ten-wicket haul in Birmingham.

With his unavailability, Assam’s Mukhtar Hussain has been named as his replacement.

Squad Overview

Abhimanyu Easwaran will lead the East Zone side, with Assam allrounder Riyan Parag named vice-captain. The squad includes India internationals Mohammed Shami, who has played just one first-class match in the past two years, and Mukesh Kumar.

East Zone Squad for Duleep Trophy Opener:

  • Abhimanyu Easwaran (Captain)

  • Riyan Parag (Vice-Captain)

  • Aashirwad Swain (wk)

  • Sandeep Patnaik

  • Virat Singh

  • Denish Das

  • Sridam Paul

  • Sharandeep Singh

  • Kumar Kushagra (wk)

  • Utkarsh Singh

  • Manishi

  • Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal

  • Mukesh Kumar

  • Mukhtar Hussain

  • Mohammed Shami

East Zone will take on Shubman Gill-led North Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarterfinals, with all matches to be played at the CoE on the outskirts of Bengaluru.