Team India star to skip Duleep Trophy despite being picked in the squad after ENG vs IND 2025 Tests: Reports

Team India pacer Akash Deep will miss the upcoming 2025 Duleep Trophy, as reported by PTI journalist Kushan Sarkar. Akash Deep was picked in the East Zone squad, which will be led by wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan.

As per the report, Akash Deep won't be a part of the premier domestic tournament, which kicks off on August 28. There is no clarity on why he won't participate in the tournament, but the report suggests that the pacer may have been advised to rest by the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE).

Notably, Akash Deep has been replaced by Assam's medium pacer Mukhtar Hussain. The 26-year-old has played 40 first-class matches so far and has claimed 132 wickets at an average of 28.25.

Kushan Sarkar

@kushansarkar

Some #CricketTwitter newsAkash Deep will not be playing #duleeptrophy. Whether he has been advised rest by CoE not clear. East Zone selection committee has picked Assam's medium pacer Mukhtar Hussain.@BCCI @BCCIdomestic

Akash Deep struggled with his fitness throughout the recently concluded five-match Test series in England. He had sustained a groin injury and was ruled out of the Manchester Test. However, he returned for the final game at The Oval.

East Zone 2025 Duleep Trophy squad: Ishan Kishan (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vc), Sandeep Patnaik, Virat Singh, Denish Das, Sridam Paul, Sharandeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Kumar Kushagra, Utkarsh Singh, Manishi, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal, Mukesh Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Mukhtar Hussain (Standbys: Aasirwad Swain, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Swastik Samal, Sudip Kr Gharami, Rahul Singh).

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Akash Deep was India's third-highest wicket-taker in England

Notably, Akash Deep had a fairly memorable England tour. He ended as India's third-highest wicket-taker behind Mohammed Siraj (23), Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna (14 each), with 13 scalps.

His 13 wickets came from three matches at an average of 36.46, including a five-wicket haul. This also includes a ten-wicket match haul. He returned figures of 10/187 in the second Test at Birmingham, which India won by 336 runs. Deep became only the second Indian bowler after Chetan Sharma to have picked up a ten-wicket haul in Tests in England.

Moreover, he displayed his batting skills as well in the Oval Test. He came in at number four as a nightwatchman in the second innings and scored an important 66 runs off 94 balls. The visitors won the game and leveled the series 2-2.