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Shubman Gill relinquishes Punjab captaincy in Vijay Hazare Trophy

Anurag Dasgupta

Revealed why Gill is not leading Punjab [Source: @YaariSports/x.com] Revealed why Gill is not leading Punjab [Source: @YaariSports/x.com]

In order to regain his Midas touch, India’s ODI and Test captain, Shubman Gill, is back in the domestic circuit as the batter represents Punjab in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. In recent times, Gill has suffered multiple injuries (neck sprain and foot injury), and the opening batter has hardly had any game time before the New Zealand series.

He was named in the Punjab playing XI to face Goa in a tricky contest, but in a surprising turn of events, he was not named the captain, and instead, Prabhsimran Singh was leading the side against the Goa team. With the national team’s captain available, why was Gill not appointed the skipper for Punjab?

Why Gill was not appointed Punjab skipper for VHT match?

There are two main reasons why the team decided to continue with Prabhsimran Singh as the captain instead of Gill. Firstly, it was Abhishek Sharma who has been leading the team in the ongoing tournament, but while Abhishek was out for the last match, Prabhsimran was made the new captain, and the Punjab squad wants to continue with the same leadership.

Secondly, India is scheduled to play an ODI series against New Zealand, starting on Sunday, and as a result, there is an ODI camp slated to begin on January 7. Gill, being the captain of the Indian side, will join the camp, and his only VHT 2025 outing will be the game against Goa. Hence, the management decided not to hand over the captaincy armband to Gill, who will only take part in a solitary match.

The importance of VHT for Shubman Gill ahead of ODI series

Gill is slated to play just a solitary match (Vs Goa), but the clash holds utmost importance for the ODI captain of the national team. Over the last couple of months, Gill has suffered two separate injuries (neck sprain, and foot injury), and he has had little match practice before the all-important New Zealand series.

The match against Goa allows the management to test his fitness level before the ODIs, and it also allows Gill a chance to get some runs under his belt, as the batter lacked the cutting-edge in the last ODI series that he played (vs Australia).

Runs against Goa will give Gill loads of confidence as he aims to win his maiden ODI series as India’s captain.