India’s Test captain Shubman Gill has missed the season-opening Duleep Trophy 2025-26 quarter-final between North Zone and East Zone, which began on Wednesday at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Gill was originally named skipper of North Zone but was forced to withdraw due to illness. He is expected to arrive in Bengaluru later this week before departing for the Asia Cup, which kicks off on September 9 in Abu Dhabi. In his absence, Haryana opener Ankit Kumar is leading the side, while Services batter Shubham Rohilla has been drafted in as Gill’s replacement.
North Zone also feature two Asia Cup-bound pacers — Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh — who are expected to play key roles with the ball during the match.
Setbacks Across Teams
In another blow, Dhruv Jurel, named captain of Central Zone for their clash against NorthEast Zone, was ruled out after complaining of a groin niggle. Vice-captain Rajat Patidar has taken over leadership duties, with Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, and Kuldeep Yadav forming the core of the Central attack.
The East Zone outfit too had to rejig their leadership after regular skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran was sidelined due to fever. Rising allrounder Riyan Parag is captaining the team in the tournament opener.
Gill’s Recent Form
Gill comes into the season on the back of a stellar England tour, his maiden assignment as Test captain, where he piled up 754 runs in five matches at an average of 75.40. He was also recently named vice-captain of India’s T20I squad for the Asia Cup.
What’s Next
The Duleep Trophy follows a knockout format this season, with the two semi-finals scheduled at the CoE from September 4, followed by the final on September 11 at the same venue.
