The 2025 Duleep Trophy overlaps with the Asia Cup, scheduled to begin on September 9 in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. As a result, several players may exit the domestic competition mid-way to join their national squads for the eight-team event.

Fresh from a promising start as India’s new Test captain, Shubman Gill is set to lead North Zone in the Duleep Trophy opener against East Zone. However, the Punjab batter may feature in only the first game before shifting focus to the Asia Cup, where he is expected to return to T20Is after more than a year. Anticipating his early exit, the selectors have already named Shubham Rohilla as a standby option.

Shreyas Iyer, part of Shardul Thakur’s West Zone team, is another contender for a T20I recall — his first since December 2023. Despite being sidelined from the national team for a while, Iyer’s strong performances in domestic cricket and the IPL have put him back in the selectors’ plans.

The aggressive left-hander from Mumbai is also tipped for a T20I comeback, having last played in the format in July 2024. Representing West Zone, Jaiswal is scheduled to play directly in the Duleep Trophy semi-final from September 4–7, but a national call-up could see him leave the tournament early.

Delhi pacer Harshit Rana, representing North Zone, could also be drafted into the Asia Cup squad as a reserve option. Having played his only T20I earlier this year against England, Rana’s selection might be as a back-up, but it could still lead to him leaving the Duleep Trophy mid-way.

North Zone’s pace spearhead and India’s top wicket-taker in T20Is, Arshdeep Singh, may also have a shortened Duleep Trophy campaign. With 99 T20I wickets to his name, his inclusion in the Asia Cup squad seems almost certain. Gurnoor Brar has been named as his replacement if he departs for national duty.