Shubman Gill Added To Punjab Squad For Ranji Clash Against Chhattisgarh

Shubman Gill has made himself available for Punjab’s second-round Ranji Trophy 2026-27 fixture against Chhattisgarh in New Chandigarh, adding India’s ODI and Test captain to the squad at short notice.

Gill had opted out of Punjab’s opening-round match but is set to return for the next fixture as he seeks red-ball match practice before India’s ODI series in New Zealand.

Gill added to Punjab squad

Gill is a last-minute addition to Punjab’s squad, with Uday Saharan continuing as captain for the match against Chhattisgarh.

The fixture is scheduled to begin at the New PCA Stadium in New Chandigarh, with Punjab looking to secure a victory in the second round of the Ranji Trophy.

Gill’s availability gives Punjab a significant batting reinforcement after the team took three points from its season opener against Assam on the strength of a first-innings lead.

Punjab’s batting line-up for the Chhattisgarh match also includes Prabhsimran Singh, who is available after completing his India A commitments.

The squad includes Harnoor Pannu, Vihaan Malhotra, Shubman Gill, Uday Saharan, Jashanpreet Sidhu, Salil Arora, Prabhsimran Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Emanjot Chahal, Harjas Tandon, Gurnoor Brar, Gursimran Singh, Sanvir Singh and Umesh Yadav.

Gill is likely to continue batting at No. 4 for Punjab, a role that could result in Jashanpreet Sidhu making way from the playing XI.

Prabhsimran’s return further strengthens the batting group after he missed the opening match because of India A commitments.

He scored 39 and 17 in India A’s two innings against Australia A in Puducherry.

Match practice before New Zealand tour

Gill is understood to be keen to play red-ball cricket before leaving for New Zealand for the ODI series, which runs from November 4 to 15.

His participation in the New Zealand series will be limited to the first three ODIs, after which he will hand over the captaincy to Shreyas Iyer to prepare for the two Tests that follow.

That schedule has also affected Gill’s planned involvement in India A’s shadow tour of New Zealand.

India A are scheduled to play three unofficial Tests against New Zealand A, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul included in the squad for all three matches.

Gill, however, will miss the opportunity to play even one of those games because the third unofficial Test is scheduled from November 7 to 10, alongside the second and third ODIs.

The Punjab match therefore offers Gill a chance to spend time in the red-ball format before the New Zealand assignments outlined in the schedule.

A chance to rebuild Ranji form

Gill’s return comes after a modest recent record in the Ranji Trophy.

He managed 0 and 14 the last time he played for the state side, while The Hindu reported that he managed only 14 runs in his last Ranji match.

He averages 30 since the Board of Control for Cricket in India mandated Test regulars to feature in domestic First Class games.

The match against Chhattisgarh will therefore place his return in the context of both preparation for New Zealand and his recent domestic numbers.

Gill also comes into the fixture after scoring what the source describes as the fastest double century in ODIs.

The combination of that recent limited-overs achievement and his previous Ranji returns makes his performance for Punjab a key point of interest in the fixture.

Punjab’s first-round platform

Punjab’s opening-round result against Assam included centuries from Vihaan Malhotra, Emanjot Chahal and Salil Arora.

The team secured three points because of its first-innings lead.

Umesh Yadav also returned to first-class cricket in that match after more than two years.

Umesh had moved to Punjab from Vidarbha before the season and claimed 5 for 70 in the opening fixture.

That was his 16th first-class five-wicket haul.

With Gill and Prabhsimran now available, Punjab’s second-round squad combines the players who contributed to the opening-round result with two additional batting options.

Gill’s inclusion is also significant because he is listed as India’s ODI and Test captain, while Saharan will continue to lead Punjab in the Ranji Trophy fixture.

The match will thus serve as Gill’s domestic red-ball appearance before his availability becomes restricted by India’s New Zealand schedule.