Shubman Gill misses North Zone’s quarter-final due to illness; Ankit Kumar captains in his place.
Dhruv Jurel (Central Zone) and Abhimanyu Easwaran (East Zone) also ruled out; Rajat Patidar and Riyan Parag take over captaincy.
Asia Cup-bound players, including Gill, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh, are expected to join their teams later in the tournament.
The 2025-26 Duleep Trophy season got off to a disrupted start as several high-profile players missed their quarter-final matches due to illness or injury.
North Zone captain Shubman Gill, Central Zone skipper Dhruv Jurel, and East Zone captain Abhimanyu Easwaran were all absent from their sides’ opening encounters at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
North Zone Without Captain Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill, who had a sensational maiden captaincy tour in England scoring 754 runs in five Tests, was set to lead North Zone but missed the match against East Zone due to illness. Ankit Kumar of Haryana took over as captain, while Shubham Rohilla was drafted into the squad as Gill’s replacement.
Gill is expected to join his team in Bengaluru later in the week before flying out for the Asia Cup, which begins on September 9 in Abu Dhabi. Other Asia Cup-bound players in the North Zone squad include Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, who are expected to play with the ball later in the match.
Central Zone and East Zone Suffer Setbacks
Central Zone captain Dhruv Jurel was ruled out after complaining of a groin niggle ahead of their quarter-final against North East Zone. Vice-captain Rajat Patidar stepped up to lead the side, which features Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, and Kuldeep Yadav.
East Zone also faced disruption as captain Abhimanyu Easwaran was sidelined with fever. Riyan Parag, the all-rounder, assumed captaincy for the opening game.
Duleep Trophy Schedule and Asia Cup Context
The quarter-finals are taking place at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, with semi-finals scheduled from September 4 and the final set for September 11 at the same venue.
With key players missing due to Asia Cup commitments, the early rounds of the tournament have opened opportunities for young talent to step up while seasoned internationals prepare for India duty.
