East Zone have been dealt a setback ahead of their campaign as India fast bowler Akash Deep will not be available for selection. The pacer has been advised
to rest, although the exact nature of his niggle or injury remains undisclosed. His fitness will be assessed at a later date before a return timeline is decided.
Akash was recently part of India’s Test squad on the tour of England, where he impressed with both bat and ball. He missed the fourth Test in Manchester owing to a back niggle but returned for the decider at The Oval. He produced a memorable performance in the series, striking his maiden half-century as a nightwatcher in the second innings at the Oval in the fifth and final Test. Across the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, he proved to be a vital contributor, claiming 13 wickets in three matches, including a match-winning ten-wicket haul at Egdbaston.
With Akash unavailable, Assam pacer Mukhtar Hussain has been drafted into the Abhimanyu Easwaran-led squad. The team has also lost wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan, who was replaced by Aashirwad Swain. Kishan continues to recover from his fitness issues and will undergo further assessment at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. In his absence, Jharkhand youngster Kumar Kushagra is expected to take over as the first-choice wicketkeeper.
Easwaran has been handed over the captaincy as East Zone prepare to open their campaign against Shubman Gill’s North Zone in the quarterfinal starting August 28. All fixtures in the competition will be staged at the CoE on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
The Assam all-rounder Riyan Parag has been named vice-captain. The squad also features two experienced India internationals in Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar. While Shami has played just one first-class match in the past two years, his experience could be invaluable.
East Zone squad for Duleep Trophy opener:
Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Aasirwad Swain (wk), Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, Denish Das, Sridam Paul, Sharandeep Singh, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Riyan Parag (vice-captain), Utkarsh Singh, Manishi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Mukhtar Hussain and Mohammed Shami
