This star India cricketer is set to play in sixth round of Ranji Trophy 2025 tournament beginning next week, following the example of Rohit Sharma.
Team India captain Rohit Sharma is not the only Indian cricketer trying to take the domestic cricket route to regain his batting form. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have finally cracked the whip and senior Indian cricketers will have to play domestic cricket if they want to stay in contention for international cricket.
Following Rohit into the remaining matches of the Ranji Trophy 2025 season is Punjab cricketer Shubman Gill. The Gujarat Titans is reportedly now part of the ‘new leadership’ group within the Indian national side under head coach Gautam Gambhir along side Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The race to India’s next vice-captain is now a three-way one between Gill, Pant and Jaiswal and then one who scores the most runs will be the new deputy to possibly Jasprit Bumrah in Test cricket as Rohit Sharma is planning to retire from international cricket after ICC Champions Trophy 2025 next month.
Gill has confirmed his availability for Punjab’s upcoming Ranji Trophy 2025 sixth-round match against Karnataka, scheduled to begin on January 23 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. While Punjab’s squad is yet to be officially announced, Gill’s inclusion is expected to be a significant boost for the team, according to ESPNcricinfo website.
🚨 SHUBMAN GILL IN RANJI TROPHY 🚨
– Shubman Gill is likely to play Ranji Trophy for Punjab this season. (Express Sports). pic.twitter.com/ea7agiqrJQ
— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) January 14, 2025
Gill’s return offers him the opportunity to work under Punjab head coach Wasim Jaffer, the all-time leading run-scorer in Ranji Trophy history. This comes at a crucial time for the 23-year-old, whose performances outside Asia have been under scrutiny. Since June 2021, Gill has averaged just 17.64 across 18 innings in overseas conditions — a concern as India gears up for a challenging five-Test series in England later this year.
Punjab will be without two key players — Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh — who have been selected for India’s T20I series against England, starting January 22 in Kolkata. Gill’s return is expected to help fill the void left by their absence and bolster Punjab’s chances.
The match marks Gill’s return to domestic cricket after last representing Punjab in the Ranji Trophy during the 2022 quarter-finals against Madhya Pradesh in Alur. His participation aligns with the Indian team management’s renewed focus on ensuring national players engage in first-class cricket when not on international duty. This directive follows India’s 3-1 Test series defeat in Australia, with an emphasis on keeping players match-ready.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar have stressed the importance of India’s top players contributing to their state teams. Gill, who struggled in the recent Australia series, managed a highest score of 31 in five innings after returning from a finger injury that sidelined him for the first Test in Perth. Averaging 18.60 in the series, he was omitted from the Boxing Day Test as India opted for a different combination with KL Rahul at No. 3 and Rohit Sharma returning to open.
The team management clarified that Gill’s exclusion was due to team strategy rather than poor form, as India fielded two spin-bowling allrounders — Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.
For Punjab, the Ranji Trophy season has been a tough campaign. Currently fifth in Group A with just one win from five matches, their playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. Gill’s return could be the spark needed to reignite their season and push for a turnaround.
