Shubman Gill to miss Punjab’s Ranji Trophy opener in New Chandigarh

On October 10, 2026, India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill was confirmed to be unavailable for Punjab’s opening Ranji Trophy fixture against Assam at New Chandigarh, though he remains a possibility for Punjab’s second match against Chhattisgarh, scheduled for October 18 to 21.

Punjab will field former India Under-19 captain Uday Saharan as leader in Gill’s absence, and the state side has not issued an official explanation for Gill’s unavailability for the opener. The national selection committee has requested that available international players appear in at least one Ranji Trophy match this season; Ravindra Jadeja is representing Saurashtra, KL Rahul is turning out for Karnataka, and Gurnoor Brar and Akash Deep are featuring for Punjab and Bengal, respectively.

Gill has publicly argued for increased red-ball practice before Test assignments, and he is not part of the India A squad; a Ranji outing against Chhattisgarh would offer him intra-innings time in the middle ahead of upcoming international commitments. His potential participation in that fixture has been put forward as a way to regain red-ball match time, but Punjab has not confirmed his selection for the October 18-21 game.

The India schedule identifies the first three ODIs against the Black Caps as matches Gill is expected to play before the Test series there, and the senior team is slated to play two Tests in New Zealand in November. Those Test matches form part of India’s World Test Championship campaign.

India currently sits fifth in the World Test Championship standings with a points percentage of 51.52 and must finish in the top two to reach the final. The international calendar remains busy beyond New Zealand, with a five-Test home series against Australia set to begin in January 2027.

In Gill’s absence for the Assam game, Saharan will captain Punjab as they start their Ranji campaign. The state unit will begin the season under his leadership while selectors and team management await clarity on Gill’s availability for the following fixture.

Gill’s next confirmed domestic checkpoint is Punjab’s match against Chhattisgarh from October 18 to 21, and his participation in that game has not been officially confirmed.