Kishan out of 2025 Duleep Trophy; Swain named East Zone replacement

East Zone captain Ishan Kishan will miss the 2025 Duleep Trophy, with a minor injury sustained during his county stint in the United Kingdom ruling him out of the tournament opener. Odisha’s 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Aashirwad Swain has been drafted in as his replacement, with East Zone scheduled to begin their six-team campaign against North Zone in Bengaluru on August 28. Abhimanyu Easwaran, a Bengal batsman who has captained India A and was part of India’s Test squad, has been named the East Zone captain in Kishan’s absence, while Riyan Parag has been appointed vice-captain.

Kishan’s unavailability comes after continued interruptions to his schedule at the international and domestic levels. The India cap has recently been in and out of India’s squads as fitness concerns and scheduling considerations intersect with the Asia Cup 2025 window. His last competitive appearance was for Nottinghamshire in the County Championship, where he featured in June and July, including a 77-run effort as a multi-format batter. In recent weeks, Kishan was expected to use the Duleep Trophy as a platform to regain form and push his case for India selection, but a precautionary decision has...