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Revealed- Why Shubman Gill is not playing today's Vijay Hazare Trophy match? Punjab vs Sikkim

Rajgeeta Yadav

Shubman Gill ruled out due to food poisoning [Source: AFP] Shubman Gill ruled out due to food poisoning [Source: AFP]

On Friday, preparations were underway for Punjab’s Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Sikkim in Jaipur, with expectations that Indian Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill would return to competitive cricket. 

The round five fixture was scheduled at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya ground on Saturday, and Shubman Gill had already arrived in the city with the Punjab squad. 

Notably, this match was seen as an important moment for him after missing action following a toe injury picked up during the T20I series against South Africa. 

Shubman Gill ruled out due to food poisoning

When the playing XI was announced on match day, Gill’s name was not included, which led to widespread surprise. His absence stood out even more since the Punjab Cricket Association had shared promotional content close to the start of the match that featured Gill. 

However, later, clarity emerged from team sources. Gill was ruled out of the match after suffering from food poisoning, which prevented him from being fit enough to play.

Arshdeep Singh included in Punjab's playing XI

As a result, the team management decided to rest him for this game to avoid any further health concerns. While Gill remained unavailable, Arshdeep Singh did feature for Punjab in the same match. The left-arm fast bowler reached Jaipur on Friday and was named in the starting XI. 

After Punjab won the toss and chose to field first, Arshdeep Singh made an immediate impact. He claimed two wickets during his opening four-over spell, putting Sikkim under pressure early in their innings. The bowling attack maintained control throughout the innings. 

Sikkim struggled to build partnerships and was eventually bowled out for 75 runs in 22.2 overs. Arshdeep led the attack with an impressive five-wicket haul in his ten overs, while Sukhdeep Bajwa and Mayank Markande supported well, claiming two wickets each.

No streaming for Punjab vs Sikkim VHT match

At the same time, Punjab’s match against Sikkim was conducted without allowing public entry. Spectators were not permitted inside the venue, continuing a recent pattern in domestic cricket. 

Similar arrangements were seen earlier when Virat Kohli played Vijay Hazare Trophy matches at the Centre of Excellence under closed-door conditions. Reports indicate the decision was linked to security-related limitations at the venue.

As per a PTI report, a BCCI source confirmed that only students and staff of the institution were allowed inside the premises. Additional security, including private personnel, was deployed, while access for outsiders remained restricted. 

The source also pointed out that the tournament schedule had been finalised well in advance, with venue changes made only in special cases, such as Mumbai’s match being shifted to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium due to anticipated crowd response.

It is worth mentioning that Punjab’s next Vijay Hazare Trophy game is against Goa on January 6, and Shubman Gill is likely to return if his recovery from illness goes as planned.