After the announcement of the T20 World Cup 2026 squad, Shubman Gill has been trending due to his exclusion from Team India for this campaign. Gill never expected the team management to leave him out of the T20 World Cup and anticipated consideration only for the New Zealand ODI series.
Before announcing the Team India squad for the New Zealand ODI series, the BCCI instructed all senior team players to play at least two matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Shubman has been named in the Punjab cricket team squad for the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy under the captaincy of Abhishek Sharma.
Is Shubman Gill Playing Today For Punjab in Vijay Hazare Trophy?
Punjab cricket team kicked off their Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 campaign with a 51-run victory over Maharashtra. Abhishek Sharma’s men will next face Chhattisgarh on December 26 at Anantam Ground, Jaipur.
Fans are eagerly awaiting Shubman Gill’s arrival in the tournament following his shock exclusion from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, with many expecting him to make his mark in domestic 50-over cricket.
However, Gill is not playing in today’s Chhattisgarh vs Punjab match. He has confirmed participation for Punjab’s next two fixtures on January 3 and January 6, adhering to BCCI’s mandate for senior players to feature in at least two Vijay Hazare games ahead of the New Zealand ODI series squad announcement.
This domestic stint offers Gill a chance to rediscover form after trending heavily online post-T20WC snub, where he anticipated white-ball focus only for ODIs. Under Abhishek Sharma’s captaincy, Punjab’s strong start, bolstered by Gill’s arrival, positions them well in their group.
Shubman Gill’s Performance Ahead of Vijay Hazare Trophy
The 24-year-old Indian sensation has been absent from the senior team since a toe injury on India’s tour of South Africa in 2025. He missed the subsequent T20I series after sustaining the blow while batting. Looking at Shubman Gill’s Vijay Hazare Trophy stats, the Punjab-born talent last featured in 2019, coming in as a substitute fielder for one match and remaining not out on 23*.
In ODIs, Gill has played 58 matches, remaining not out 8 times with 3,166 runs at an average of 56.36, including 9 centuries and 13 fifties, 208 as highest score. Fans now crave centuries from him, mirroring Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s explosive domestic comebacks in this Vijay Hazare edition.
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