Why is Shubman Gill not playing in Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Sikkim?
India's ODI and Test captain, Shubman Gill, was expected to feature for Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy clash against Sikkim, but he was ruled out at the last minute.
New Delhi: Team India's ODI and Test captain, Shubman Gill, was expected to make a return to competitive cricket in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match between Punjab and Sikkim on Saturday, December 3.
But Gill was ruled out of the match just before the start due to food poisoning. According to a Sportstar report, both Gill and Arshdeep were expected to feature for Punjab in the 50-over domestic tournament, but only the pacer was included in the playing XI as Gill was ruled out at the last minute.
It would have been Gill's first match following his omission from the 2026 T20 World Cup squad. He made his T20I return during the 2025 Asia Cup and was also named as the vice-captain of the side.
But, he failed to deliver in the shortest format of the game, scoring just 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of just above 24. Gill also played in the first three T20I matches against South Africa but failed to leave a mark. He was later ruled out of the last two T20Is due to a foot injury.
The Vijay Hazare match between Punjab and Sikkim was played at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya ground in closed doors with no streaming available. The venue does not have seating arrangements for spectators.
Earlier, the BCCI had issued strict guidelines to all centrally contracted players to play in at least two rounds of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which led Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to turn up for their domestic sides, Delhi and Mumbai, respectively.
BCCI to announce India's ODI squad for New Zealand series
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to announce the squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand on Saturday, December 3.
According to reports, Shubman Gill is expected to return after missing the ODI series against South Africa, while Rishabh Pant might not be included in the team. The series will start on January 11.