Ishan Kishan Leads East Zone Squad Including Mohammed Shami for Duleep Trophy

The East Zone squad for the 2025-26 Duleep Trophy, beginning August 28 in Bengaluru, will be captained by wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, with Abhimanyu Easwaran serving as vice-captain. Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2025 and was part of India's victorious Champions Trophy campaign earlier in the year, has been included despite not featuring in the recent England Test series due to fitness concerns. The pace attack will also feature Akash Deep, Mukesh Kumar, and Suraj Jaiswal, while notable all-rounders such as Riyan Parag and Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra have been named in the squad. Teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi, known for his record-breaking century in Youth ODIs and promising IPL performances, is listed among the standby players. The tournament marks the start of the domestic season and returns to the traditional zonal format after a period of team-based competitions. East Zone will open their campaign against North Zone at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, with the winner advancing to face South Zone in the semifinals.