Shubman Gill likely to miss Duleep Trophy due to illness, resting in Chandigarh.
Ankit Kumar to captain North Zone; Shubham Rohilla drafted in as replacement.
Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana to leave after first game for Asia Cup duty.
India captain Shubman Gill is unlikely to feature in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, beginning on August 28 in Bengaluru, as he is reportedly unwell.
According To Cricbuzz, Gill, who was named skipper of the North Zone team, is currently resting at his home in Chandigarh after being examined by physios, who have submitted a health status report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Although no official communication has yet been received by the North Zone associations, sources close to the India Test skipper confirmed his unavailability.
The selectors had anticipated this possibility and had already named Shubham Rohilla as Gill’s replacement when the squad was announced. With Gill set to miss out, Ankit Kumar, originally named vice-captain, will now lead the North Zone side.
Gill, who returned earlier this month from a prolific England tour where he amassed 754 runs in five Tests during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, was due to leave for national duty in the Asia Cup starting September 9 in the UAE.
At best, he could have been available only for North Zone’s quarterfinal clash against East Zone at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, but his illness has ruled him out completely.
The zonal side will also lose pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana after the opening match due to their Asia Cup commitments. Gurnoor Brar and Anuj Thakral have been lined up as their replacements, provided North Zone progresses further in the competition.
The North Zone selection committee consists of Chetan Sharma (Haryana), Nikhil Chopra (Delhi), Amit Uniyal (Chandigarh), Mithun Minhas (J&K and convenor), Raj Kumar (Services), and Mukesh Kumar (Himachal Pradesh).
