Vijay Hazare Trophy: Punjab Name Shubman, Abhishek, Arshdeep In Star-Studded Squad

Punjab have named national team stars Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Arshdeep Singh in their 18-man squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, with the team set to open its campaign against Maharashtra on December 24.

The selection brings together three established India internationals alongside a core of explosive domestic performers as Punjab aim to improve on last season’s quarter-final exit. Notably, Punjab have not announced a captain in the official squad release.

Gill’s inclusion comes shortly after his omission from India’s T20I squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup and the New Zealand T20Is, though he remains central to India’s ODI plans and is expected to captain the national side in the upcoming 50-over series.

Strong Batting Core, Pace Depth For Punjab

Along with Gill, Abhishek, and Arshdeep, Punjab have assembled a formidable batting and all-round group featuring Prabhsimran Singh, Naman Dhir, Anmolpreet Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sanvir Singh, and Harpreet Brar. The pace attack will be spearheaded by Gurnoor Brar and Krish Bhagat, providing depth across conditions.

However, the availability of Gill, Abhishek, and Arshdeep remains uncertain. India are scheduled to play three ODIs against New Zealand starting January 11, followed by five T20Is from January 21.

While Gill is set to lead India’s ODI side, Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh are part of the T20I squad, potentially limiting their involvement in the latter stages of the domestic tournament.

Punjab, who were losing quarter-finalists last season, will play all seven league matches in Jaipur. Arshdeep Singh finished as Punjab’s leading wicket-taker in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, underlining his importance to the side.

Their group includes Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa and Mumbai, with the league stage concluding on January 8, just three days before India’s first ODI against New Zealand.

Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26: Punjab Squad

Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Anmolpreet Singh, Uday Saharan, Naman Dhir, Salil Arora (wk), Sanvir Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Jashanpreet Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Raghu Sharma, Krish Bhagat, Gourav Choudhary, Sukhdeep Bajwa.