Shubman Gill's Return Date Confirmed, Set To Play In This Tournament After T20 World Cup Snub

Star India batter Shubman Gill is all set to take part in the upcoming round of games for Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, according to a report. The 26-year-old, who is India's Test and ODI captain, was left out of the T20 World Cup squad last week after a prolonged lean patch with the bat in the shortest format. According to a report in Cricbuzz, Gill is expected to feature in Punjab's matches on January 3 and 6 against Sikkim and Goa in Jaipur.

Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has reportedly informed Saurashtra that he will play the January 6 and 8 fixtures against Services and Gujarat.

Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul is also expected to play in the January 3 and 6 games against Tripura and Rajasthan for Karnataka, though there is no official confirmation as of yet.

Gill, Jadeja and Rahul will then join the Indian team ahead of the upcoming three-match ODI series against New Zealand, beginning on January 11.

Gill was part of the Punjab squad announced by the side but did not feature in the first four matches.

It is worth noting that Gill was dropped from India's squad for the New Zealand T20Is as well as the 2026 T20 World Cup following a lean patch in the format. He had been brought back into the team for the Asia Cup earlier this year, a return that saw him playing a T20I after a gap of more than one year. However, the comeback proved difficult for the right-handed batter, who managed just 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.25. His below-par performance led the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selectors to drop him from the T20I team.

Gill had initially returned to the T20I setup at a time when things were going well for the side. He was the top scorer in the England Test series and, impressed by that form, the selectors recalled him to the T20I squad. Consequently, he replaced Sanju Samson in the opening slot after a year-long absence from the format. The fact that Samson was dropped despite impressive performances in that position drew widespread criticism at the time.

However, while naming the squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, the BCCI selectors performed a U-turn, naming Samson in the team in place of Gill.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team PUN Saurashtra KAR Shubman Gill KL Rahul Ravindra Jadeja Vijay Hazare Trophy Cricket