Shubman Gill begins preparations for IND vs NZ Tests; set to in THIS Ranji Trophy 2026-27 game

Shubman Gill missed Punjab’s opening match of the Ranji Trophy, with Uday Saharan leading the team in his absence.

The Test and ODI captain of the Indian Cricket Team, Shubman Gill, has a very busy schedule ahead as the team prepares for the New Zealand tour. Gill will feature in three ODIs and two Test matches, leading the side. The tour is scheduled to start on October 22; however, the longer-format matches will start from November 4, when Gill will lead the team.

But before that, there are Ranji Trophy matches in which Shubman Gill missed Punjab’s first match, which was against Assam. After four days of play, the match ended in a draw. Punjab was led by India U-19 captain Uday Saharan in the absence of Gill.

There has been no official word on the reason for Gill’s unavailability for the opening fixture; however, the national selection committee has asked the available international players to feature in at least one Ranji Trophy match. Now, Punjab’s next challenge is to play against Chhattisgarh, starting on October 18. The venue for the match is the PCA New Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Shubman Gill set to feature in Punjab’s clash against Chhattisgarh – Reports

According to reports in Times of India, Shubman Gill will feature in the second round of the Ranji Trophy. He will play against Chhattisgarh in a match starting on Sunday, October 18. The match will be televised live on Star Sports Khel, with streaming available on JioHotstar.

This news will excite Shubman Gill’s fans, who want to witness his elegant batting before the big tour against New Zealand. With the Indian cricket team’s schedule packed for the next few months, Gill will be in focus as he looks to lead from the front.

So far, this year has been excellent for him, as he has looked in form across all formats, scoring plenty of runs at a good average. The Ranji Trophy match before the New Zealand tour will provide Gill with valuable red-ball practice.

India are scheduled to play two Test matches against New Zealand. Currently, India sit fifth in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points table, with a points percentage of 51.52. They will need to finish in the top two to qualify for the final. To qualify, the India will need to win most of its remaining matches, making it important for the captain to lead from the front with the bat as well.

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