Shubman Gill to miss Punjab's Ranji Trophy opener against Assam
Shubman Gill will miss Punjab's opening Ranji Trophy match against Assam without an official explanation for his absence.
India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill will miss Punjab's opening Ranji Trophy fixture against Assam in New Chandigarh but could return for the team's second match against Chhattisgarh, scheduled to begin on October 18. Former India U-19 captain Uday Saharan will continue to lead Punjab in Gill's absence.
Gill's unavailability comes without an official explanation. The India captain has not been named in the India A squad and could use the Ranji Trophy to build match readiness ahead of the New Zealand tour. He is expected to play the first three ODIs against New Zealand before turning his attention to the Test series, with Shreyas Iyer to captain in his absence.
The national selection committee has asked available international players to feature in at least one Ranji Trophy match. Ravindra Jadeja is playing for Saurashtra, KL Rahul has joined Karnataka, while Akash Deep is representing Bengal.
CricHubb Take
Gill's absence from the first Ranji match despite the selection committee directive shows how even mandated domestic appearances can be negotiated when international schedules tighten.