The first round of the ongoing 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season commenced on October 11. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Shubman Gill, the captain of the Indian cricket team for both Test and ODI formats, is set to feature in a Ranji Trophy match for Punjab.
According to recent media reports, the 27-year-old right-handed batter from Fazilka will play for Punjab against Chhattisgarh—the team’s second Elite Group A fixture—before departing for New Zealand on October 23 or 24. The match will be held at Ground A of the PCA International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.
Punjab’s encounter against Chhattisgarh is scheduled to begin this Sunday (October 18). In their opening match of the season, played earlier this week in Mullanpur against Assam, Punjab’s game ended in a draw; however, they secured three points by virtue of taking a first-innings lead.
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Gill, who typically bats at the number four position for the Indian Test team, is expected to occupy the same spot for Punjab against Chhattisgarh. He will replace Jahanpreet Singh, who batted at that position in the previous match, scoring 22 runs off 59 balls.
This will mark the first time Shubman Gill plays a Ranji Trophy match under the captaincy of former Under-19 skipper Uday Saharan, who is leading the Punjab side in this domestic first-class tournament. It will be interesting to see how Shubman Gill performs with the bat against Chhattisgarh.
Shubman Gill to miss the final two ODIs
Separately, Shubman Gill will be unavailable for the last two ODIs, as he will be focusing on preparations for the upcoming Test series in New Zealand. The final ODI against New Zealand concludes on November 15, while the two-match Test series is set to begin on November 19. As a result, they will not have enough time to prepare; consequently, not only Gill but also Bumrah has been ruled out of the entire ODI series.
