India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill is set to return to domestic cricket and will feature in two Vijay Hazare Trophy fixtures for Punjab on January 3 and January 6, after confirming his availability to the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA).
As per a Times of India.com report, a PCA official confirmed that Gill will turn out for Punjab in their List A matches against Sikkim (January 3) and Goa (January 6), both scheduled to be played in Jaipur, before linking up with the Indian team for the ODI series against New Zealand.
"Shubman will be playing the two games in January-on the 3rd and 6th-before joining the team for the ODI series versus New Zealand. He also wants to play the remaining rounds of Ranji Trophy for Punjab," a PCA official told
the website.
Domestic Focus Ahead of International Commitments
Gill's return to domestic action comes after he was left out of India's T20I squad for the upcoming World Cup, a decision that saw him unceremoniously dropped from the shortest format setup. The 27-year-old opener is expected to use the Vijay Hazare Trophy to gain match sharpness before switching focus to red-ball cricket.
The three-match ODI series against New Zealand will conclude on January 18 emphasising Indore, after which Gill is likely to make himself available for the remaining two rounds of the Ranji Trophy.
Punjab are scheduled to face Saurashtra in Rajkot from January 22, followed by a home fixture against Karnataka in Mullanpur starting January 29. The PCA is optimistic about Gill's availability for both matches.
Punjab Eye Boost in Ranji Campaign
Punjab are currently placed sixth in Group B of the Ranji Trophy standings, with just one win from five matches. Gill's presence is expected to provide a significant boost as they look to improve their position in the final phase of the group stage.
While the Indian T20I side will be competing in the home World Cup during February and March, Gill is set to continue his domestic grind before attention turns to the Indian Premier League later in March.
Punjab Vijay Hazare Trophy Squad
Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Anmolpreet Singh, Uday Saharan, Naman Dhir, Salil Arora (wk), Sanvir Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Jashanpreet Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Raghu Sharma, Krish Bhagat, Gourav Choudhary, Sukhdeep Bajwa.
