India’s wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan and all-rounder Riyan Parag have reported to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for routine pre-season
fitness assessments ahead of the 2025-26 domestic season. Both cricketers are part of the East Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, with Kishan set to lead the team. They are amongst the several Indian players, including Hardik Pandya, Abhishek Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, and Suryakumar Yadav, who are or have already undergone similar tests at the CoE.
The fitness drills at the CoE are taking place ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 selection and the Duleep Trophy. Notably, India's upcoming calendar is packed with a white-ball series against Australia in October, followed by fixtures against South Africa in November-December and New Zealand in January, leading into the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Kishan eyes comeback after ankle injury
For Kishan, this is also a comeback opportunity after recovering from an ankle injury sustained in an off-field accident a month ago, which saw N Jagadeesan replace him in India's squad for the fifth Test in the England Test series. He recently found form in the County Championship with Nottinghamshire, scoring two half-centuries in as many innings. On the other hand, Parag recently captained Rajasthan Royals in parts of IPL 2025 in Sanju Samson’s absence.
Meanwhile, the East Zone side, which will face North Zone in the tournament opener on August 28 at the CoE, has a strong squad. Alongside Kishan, the squad features vice-captain Abhimanyu Easwaran, fast bowlers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, and senior pacer Mohammed Shami, returning to first-class cricket after limited appearances in the past two seasons. Parag will be an important all-round option, while the batting lineup includes Virat Singh, Sandeep Patnaik, and Sharandeep Singh. Left-arm spinner Manishi and all-rounder Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal will handle spin duties.
East Zone squad
Ishan Kishan (capt), 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 Shami
Standbys: Mukhtar Hussain, Aasirwad Swain, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Swastik Samal, Sudip Kumar Gharami, Rahul Singh
