Daijiworld Media Network - Chandigarh

Chandigarh, Oct 11: India captain Shubman Gill will miss Punjab’s opening Ranji Trophy fixture against Assam in New Chandigarh, but could return for the team’s next match against Chhattisgarh from October 18 to 21.

Former India Under-19 captain Uday Saharan has been appointed to lead Punjab in the opening fixture in Gill’s absence. According to a report, Punjab have not issued an official explanation for the Indian captain’s absence.

Gill’s availability comes under focus as the national selection committee has asked available international cricketers to represent their respective state teams in the domestic competition. Several Indian players have joined their state sides for Ranji Trophy matches.

Ravindra Jadeja has joined Saurashtra, while KL Rahul has turned out for Karnataka. Gurnoor Brar is expected to represent Punjab following the ODI series against the West Indies, while Akash Deep is set to play for Bengal.

Gill could use Punjab’s second fixture against Chhattisgarh to gain match practice ahead of India’s upcoming tour of New Zealand. The Indian captain, who leads the team in Test and ODI cricket, is not part of the India A squad, making the Ranji Trophy a possible opportunity to improve his match fitness.

Gill is expected to feature in the first three ODIs against New Zealand as part of his preparation for the subsequent Test assignments. However, his participation in Punjab’s match against Chhattisgarh has not yet been confirmed.

Punjab squad for the opening match: Uday Saharan (captain), Salil Arora (wicketkeeper), Anmol Malhotra, Ramandeep Singh, Sanvir Singh, Harpreet Brar, Gurnoor Brar, Umesh Yadav, Harnoor Singh, Vihaan Malhotra, Emanjot Singh Chahal, Jashanpreet Singh, Gursimran Singh, Anshul Chaudhary and Harjas Singh Tandon.