Shubman Gill has declared his availability for Punjab's sixth-round Ranji Trophy fixture against Karnataka, scheduled to begin on January 23 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The Punjab squad is yet to be announced.
Gill’s return to the state side presents an opportunity to work under Wasim Jaffer, Punjab's head coach and the all-time leading run-scorer in Ranji history. This comes amid increased criticism of Gill's overseas performances, where he averages just 17.64 in 18 innings since June 2021. His inclusion is particularly significant as India prepares for a five-Test tour of England this summer.
Punjab will benefit from Gill’s presence, especially as senior players Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh are unavailable due to their inclusion in India's T20I squad for the England series starting January 22 in Kolkata.
Gill last played a Ranji Trophy game for Punjab in 2022, featuring in the quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh in Alur. His return aligns with India's new directive for top players to represent their state teams when free from international duties. The guidelines were introduced following India's 3-1 Test series loss in Australia.
Gill's recent performances have drawn attention, particularly after a challenging series in Australia where he scored a series-high of 31 runs across five innings, averaging 18.60.
He missed the series opener due to a finger injury and was excluded from the Boxing Day Test, with KL Rahul taking the No. 3 position. The team management attributed this to tactical decisions rather than form.
Punjab’s chances of making the Ranji Trophy playoffs remain slim, with the team currently fifth in Group A, having secured just one win in five games.
Updated on 14th January, 2025 by MyFortune11 Team.