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Gill, Ishan Among Indian Stars Not Playing Duleep Trophy Quarterfinals; Reason Revealed

Debashis Sarangi

Gill and Ishan aren't playing Duleep Trophy [Source: @ShortArmJab7, @CricCrazyJohns/X]Gill and Ishan aren't playing Duleep Trophy [Source: @ShortArmJab7, @CricCrazyJohns/X]

On Thursday, the much-anticipated Duleep Trophy tournament kicked off with two fascinating quarterfinal encounters at the BCCI Centre of Excellence grounds. While North Zone took on a star-studded side from the East Zone, the Central Zone crossed swords against the North East Zone. 

The eyes will be on several players from these four sides, especially with the BCCI selection committee set to pick the Indian team for the West Indies Tests at home. Meanwhile, several prominent Indian players missed out on the Duleep Trophy quarterfinals, as mentioned below. 

Shubman Gill

Why is Shubman Gill not playing Duleep Trophy quarterfinal?

  • Shubman Gill was announced as the North Zone captain for their quarterfinal encounter against East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. However, the recently appointed Indian captain caught a viral flu, which eventually sidelined him from the high-voltage encounter. 
  • As per the latest report, Gill is steadily recovering from the flu and will join the BCCI Centre of Excellence to prepare for the Asia Cup. 

Ishan Kishan

Why is Ishan Kishan not playing Duleep Trophy quarterfinal?

  • Just like Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan was also set to play the Duleep Trophy as captain. He was announced as the skipper of the East Zone, with the BCCI giving him a golden opportunity to make a Test comeback by performing in the tournament. 
  • However, unfortunately, an injury ruled Ishan Kishan out of the competition, leaving a massive void in the East Zone squad. 

Abhimanyu Easwaran

Why is Abhimanyu Easwaran not playing Duleep Trophy quarterfinal?

  • After Ishan Kishan was sidelined from the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal against North Zone, vice-captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was expected to lead the East Zone in the match. 
  • But the experienced batter from Bengal suffered a last-minute omission from the playing XI due to viral flu, as revealed by TOI, with Riyan Parag replacing him as the captain of the East Zone. 

Dhruv Jurel

Why is Dhruv Jurel not playing Duleep Trophy quarterfinal?

  • Dhruv Jurel, who plays as Rishabh Pant's backup in the Indian Test side, was named as the Central Zone captain ahead of their Duleep Trophy quarterfinal against North East Zone. 
  • However, Jurel complained of a groin niggle, as TOI reported this morning, eventually missing out on selection for the high-profile clash. In his absence, Royal Challengers Bengaluru's IPL 2025 winning captain Rajat Patidar is leading the Central Zone. 

Akash Deep

Why is Akash Deep not playing Duleep Trophy quarterfinal?

  • Right-arm speedster Akash Deep had a memorable time with the ball in the England Tests, playing a pivotal role in India's clinical win in the second Test at Edgbaston. 
  • Akash Deep was set to spearhead the East Zone's pace attack alongside Mohammed Shami. However, the fast bowler has yet to recover from a back injury that sidelined him from two Tests on the England tour. This is the reason why he's not playing in the ongoing Duleep Trophy clash against North Zone.