Shubman Gill to play Ranji Trophy for Punjab ahead of New Zealand tour
Synopsis
India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill has been drafted into Punjab's Ranji Trophy squad at the eleventh hour — not by choice, but by a scheduling collision that ruled out his India A option. With the New Zealand Tests looming, a domestic four-dayer is now his only red-ball runway before the series.
Key Takeaways
Shubman Gill will play for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy second-round clash against Chhattisgarh at New Chandigarh , starting 19 October 2025 .
Gill's India A option fell through because the third unofficial Test in Lincoln ( 7–10 November ) clashes with the second and third ODIs of the New Zealand tour.
He will captain India in the first three ODIs (4–15 November) before handing the 50-over captaincy to Shreyas Iyer ahead of the two-match Test series .
Wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh returns to the Punjab squad after India A duty in Puducherry .
Umesh Yadav made a first-class comeback after more than two years , claiming 5 for 70 — his 16th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket — against Assam.
The match will be broadcast on JioHotstar and Star Sports Khel .
India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill will represent Punjab in their Ranji Trophy second-round match against Chhattisgarh at the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh, beginning Sunday, 19 October 2025. The last-minute inclusion gives the 27-year-old a crucial window of red-ball practice before he departs for the upcoming New Zealand tour.
Why Gill Is Playing Ranji
The move is a direct response to a scheduling gap that disrupted an earlier plan. Gill had originally been expected to feature in one of the India A unofficial Tests against New Zealand A — a three-match series running alongside the main tour. However, the third four-day game, scheduled from 7 to 10 November in Lincoln, clashes with the second and third ODIs of the senior series, making his participation impossible.
With that option closed, the Ranji Trophy outing emerges as his only realistic chance to log long-format overs before the two-match Test series against New Zealand. Gill is likely to bat at number four for Punjab, a position change that could see Jashanpreet Sidhu left out of the playing eleven.
Gill's Role on the New Zealand Tour
India's ODI series in New Zealand runs from 4 to 15 November. Gill will lead the side for the first three matches, after which he will hand the 50-over captaincy to Shreyas Iyer and shift his focus entirely to the Test series. Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul have been named for all three India A unofficial Tests, but Gill is not part of that group.
Punjab's Strengthened Line-Up
Punjab's squad for the Chhattisgarh game has received a significant boost beyond Gill's addition. Wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh returns to the side after missing the season opener against Assam last week due to India A duty, where he posted scores of 39 and 17 against Australia A in a 2-1 50-over series defeat in Puducherry.
Punjab collected three points in that opening match courtesy of a first-innings lead, with Vihaan Malhotra, Emanjot Chahal, and Salil Arora all striking hundreds. Notably, veteran India pacer Umesh Yadav — who switched from Vidarbha to Punjab ahead of the domestic season — marked his first-class comeback after a gap of more than two years with figures of 5 for 70, his 16th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket.
Where to Watch
The Punjab vs Chhattisgarh match will be broadcast on JioHotstar and Star Sports Khel. The Karnataka vs Saurashtra and Kerala vs Odisha clashes in the same round will be live-streamed on JioHotstar. Punjab will field a formidable batting line-up — with Gill, Prabhsimran, and three centurions from the opening game — as they look to consolidate their early points at home.
Punjab squad: Harnoor Pannu, Vihaan Malhotra, Shubman Gill, Uday Saharan (captain), Jashanpreet Sidhu, Salil Arora (vice-captain), Ramandeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Harpreet Brar, Emanjot Singh Chahal, Harjas Tandon, Gurnoor Brar, Umesh Yadav, Gursimran Singh, Sanvir Singh, Sehaj Dhawan.
Point of View
Not a statement of intent about domestic cricket's place in the calendar — and that distinction matters. The India A schedule collision reveals how tight the international window has become for Test prep, leaving a national captain reliant on a round of Ranji to stay match-sharp. More broadly, the episode underlines an old tension: red-ball preparation for India's top players is increasingly a logistical afterthought, stitched together between bilateral commitments rather than built into the structure. If India want Gill to lead the Test side with authority, they may need to design the calendar around long-format exposure, not around it.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Shubman Gill playing Ranji Trophy ahead of the New Zealand tour?
Gill is playing for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy to get red-ball practice before the two-match Test series in New Zealand. His original plan to feature in an India A unofficial Test was ruled out because the third four-day game in Lincoln clashes with the second and third ODIs of the senior tour.
Which match is Shubman Gill playing in the Ranji Trophy?
Gill is playing in Punjab's second-round Ranji Trophy fixture against Chhattisgarh at the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh, starting 19 October 2025. He is expected to bat at number four for the side.
What is Shubman Gill's role on the New Zealand tour?
Gill will captain India in the first three ODIs of the New Zealand series (4–15 November), after which he will hand the 50-over captaincy to Shreyas Iyer and focus on the two-match Test series that follows.
Who else features in Punjab's squad for the Chhattisgarh match?
Punjab's squad includes returning wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh, three centurions from the opening game (Vihaan Malhotra, Emanjot Chahal, Salil Arora), and veteran pacer Umesh Yadav, who took 5 for 70 on his first-class comeback against Assam.
Where can I watch the Punjab vs Chhattisgarh Ranji Trophy match?
The Punjab vs Chhattisgarh match will be broadcast on JioHotstar and Star Sports Khel. Other second-round games such as Karnataka vs Saurashtra and Kerala vs Odisha will be live-streamed on JioHotstar.
