Shubman Gill To Miss Punjab’s Ranji Trophy Opener? India Captain’s Domestic Return In Doubt

Shubman Gill will not be part of Punjab’s campaign opener in the Ranji Trophy against Assam in New Chandigarh, with a possible return on the cards for their next fixture against Chhattisgarh from October 18 to 21.

In the India captain’s absence, Uday Saharan, who previously led the country at the Under-19 level, will continue as Punjab’s skipper.

Gill’s omission from the opening-round squad has not been accompanied by an official explanation, leaving his availability for the second match uncertain.

The start of the domestic season has coincided with a renewed emphasis on red-ball cricket for India’s international players. Following a directive from the BCCI men’s national selection committee, several established names have returned to their state sides.

The selection panel is currently being led by South Zone representative Pragyan Ojha following Ajit Agarkar’s exit.

Ravindra Jadeja has turned out for Saurashtra, KL Rahul is back with Karnataka, and Akash Deep is featuring for Bengal. Gill has also stressed the importance of regular first-class cricket in helping players prepare for demanding Test assignments.

Punjab’s pace attack includes Gurnoor Brar, a bowler Gill personally picked for opportunities in the national setup.

Meanwhile, Prabhsimran Singh and Naman Dhir will be unavailable for the opening two rounds because of their international commitments. Vihaan Malhotra could also be in contention for a first-class debut.

The timing of Gill’s potential return could be significant, with India scheduled to tour New Zealand. The right-handed batter is expected to play the opening three ODIs before turning his attention to the Test leg of the tour. Shreyas Iyer is expected to take over the captaincy for the Test series in Gill’s absence.

Punjab will have little room for error as the competition progresses, with Karnataka, Saurashtra and Andhra Pradesh also drawn in their group.

Punjab squad for Ranji Trophy:

Harnoor Pannu, Vihaan Malhotra, Anshul Chaudhary, Uday Saharan (captain), Jashanpreet Sidhu, Salil Arora, Ramandeep Singh, Anmol Malhotra, Harpreet Brar, Emanjot Singh Chahal, Harjas Tandon, Gurnoor Brar, Umesh Yadav, Gursimran Singh, Sanvir Singh and Sehaj Dhawan.