India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill made his much-awaited debut in the ongoing Sher-E-Punjab T20 League 2026 on Sunday (September 6) for Fazilka Falcons against Ludhiana Lions at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. The 26-year-old right-handed batter from Fazilka scored 40 runs off just 21 balls as an opening batter, batting at a strike rate of 190.48 and smashed seven fours and one six during his stay at the crease.
Gill hammered his India teammate Arshdeep Singh for a couple of fours in his second over of the match and then hit two back-to-back fours off Mumbai Indians star Krish Bhagat’s bowling as well.
However, before Gill could reach the 50-run mark,
he was sent back to the pavilion by Kartik Chadha.
On the fifth ball of the 10th over of Fazilka’s innings, Salil Arora completed Gill’s catch. The right-handed batter was the fourth wicket to fall for Fazilka on Sunday.
The ongoing match between Fazilka and Ludhiana in Mohali is Gill’s first T20 appearance since May 2026.
He last played a 20-over match for Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In that fixture, he could only manage 10 runs off eight balls.
Gill, who led India to a 1-0 win in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka last month, is not part of India’s current T20I setup. He last played a T20I for India in December 2025 against South Africa in Dharamsala. He was subsequently dropped for the home series against New Zealand in January 2026 and was also not selected for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Gill scored more than 700 runs for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026, but despite his impressive performance, he was not picked for India’s T20I series in Ireland, England and Zimbabwe. He was also overlooked for the 2026 Asian Games and the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.
The right-handed batter is likely to next be seen in action for India during the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, which is scheduled to begin on September 27 in Thiruvananthapuram. The second ODI will be played in Guwahati, while the third and final match is scheduled for October 3 in Mullanpur.
