7 days ago
Ishan Kishan to lead East Zone in Duleep Trophy: Shami back, Suryavanshi on standby
Ishan Kishan has been named captain of the East Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, set to begin on August 28 in Bengaluru. The Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter, who recently featured in county cricket for Nottinghamshire, will lead a squad that blends youth with him in the leadership group is Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran, who takes the role of vice-captain. Easwaran has remained a steady presence in India's red-ball setup and brings crucial top-order stability to the a notable boost, India pacer Mohammed Shami returns to domestic red-ball cricket after a long layoff, having been named in the squad. The veteran India pacer is set to return to first-class cricket for the first time in over a year, having last bowled a red ball in early 2024. Shami's return is likely to add serious firepower to a pace attack that also includes Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep — both of whom have been flirting with regular India Test spots.
The squad also features promising talents like Riyan Parag, left-arm spinner Manishi, and consistent performers such as Virat Singh and Sharandeep the six standby players is 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi. The Jharkhand teenager, who recently made headlines with a record-breaking century in youth ODIs against England Lions, has been named as a backup option. While his omission from the main squad might surprise a few, selectors are likely looking to ease him into senior-level cricket without immediate Zone begin their campaign against North Zone in Bengaluru on August 28, as the Duleep Trophy returns to its zonal roots with a six-team Zone Squad for 2025-26 Duleep TrophyIshan Kishan (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vc), 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 ShamiStandbys: Mukhtar Hussain, Aasirwad Swain, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Swastik Samal, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Rahul Singh- Ends
