Ishan Kishan Appointed Captain for Duleep Trophy 2026-27 with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as Vice-Captain

Leadership Roles in East Zone Squad

In a recent announcement, the East Zone selectors have appointed Ishan Kishan as the captain for the upcoming Duleep Trophy for the 2026-27 domestic season. Alongside him, the talented teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named vice-captain.

This selection is a notable achievement for Sooryavanshi, who has gained recognition following impressive performances in both the IPL and international matches. He is anticipated to open the batting alongside the experienced Abhimanyu Easwaran, as reported by Cricinfo.

Easwaran, boasting over 100 first-class matches, is eager to regain his form after being sidelined from the Indian A team late last year. Additionally, Shikhar Mohan from Jharkhand, who scored 613 runs in his debut Ranji Trophy season, will serve as the reserve opener.

The squad is bolstered by seasoned Indian pacers Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar, enhancing the bowling lineup. Shami returns after a stellar Ranji Trophy season in 2025-26, where he took 37 wickets in just seven matches, and is expected to lead the pace attack alongside Mukesh and Bengal's Suraj Jaiswal.

Notably, selectors have excluded all-rounder Riyan Parag and fast bowler Akash Deep, both of whom are currently recovering from surgeries. Parag is healing from a right shoulder operation post-IPL 2026, while Akash Deep is recuperating from back surgery.

Kishan will take on the wicketkeeping duties, with Kumar Kushagra from Jharkhand as the reserve keeper. Jharkhand is also represented by top-order batsman Virat Singh and spin-bowling all-rounder Anukul Roy, who contributed to India A's successful tri-series in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

Despite his rising profile in white-ball formats, Sooryavanshi has limited experience in first-class cricket, having played eight matches and scored 207 runs, with a top score of 93. The Duleep Trophy presents a valuable opportunity for him to solidify his position in red-ball cricket.

Completing the squad are Bengal all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed and Abhijit Sarkar from Tripura, along with Odisha's Subranshu Senapati and Bengal's Denish Das.

The East Zone squad includes: Ishan Kishan (captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (vice-captain), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sudip Gharami, Mohammed Shami, Mukesh Kumar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Suraj Jaiswal, Virat Singh, Kumar Kushagra, Shikhar Mohan, Subranshu Senapati, Abhijit Sarkar, Anukul Roy, and Denish Das.