Shubman Gill Plans Domestic Return With Punjab Ahead Of India-New Zealand ODIs

India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill will turn out for Punjab in both white-ball and red-ball domestic cricket before and after the India-New Zealand ODI series, using the window created by omission from India's T20I squad and the 2026 T20 World Cup plans to regain touch in local conditions.

Gill is set to feature in two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches for Punjab in the 2025-26 season before joining the national side for three ODIs against New Zealand, and then, once the international assignment ends, will shift focus to red-ball cricket by appearing in the remaining Ranji Trophy group games for Punjab.

Shubman Gill Ranji Trophy Punjab schedule and Vijay Hazare Trophy plans

The Vijay Hazare Trophy for the 2025-26 season runs from December 24 to January 18, and Gill will play in Punjab's Elite Group C fixtures against Sikkim and Goa in Jaipur on January 3 and January 6, after which Gill will link up with Team India for the New Zealand ODI leg, scheduled in Vadodara on January 11, Rajkot on January 14 and Indore on January 18.

According to a report in the Times of India on December 23, a Punjab Cricket Association official confirmed Gill's participation in the two Vijay Hazare matches in Jaipur and also revealed Gill's intention to stay involved in the longer format for Punjab once India's duties against New Zealand finish.

Shubman Gill Ranji Trophy Punjab push after T20 World Cup 2026 snub

The PCA official told TOI, "Shubman will be playing the two games in January – on the 3rd and 6th – before joining the team for the ODI series versus New Zealand. He also wants to play the remaining rounds of the Ranji Trophy for Punjab," underlining Gill's plan to stay active in domestic cricket around international commitments.

Gill's choice to commit to the Ranji Trophy follows a setback at T20I level, as the 26-year-old right-handed batter from Punjab, who served as vice-captain in India's recent T20I series against South Africa, was left out by the senior men's selection committee for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and also omitted from India's squad plans for the 2026 T20 World Cup, with poor form and balance of the playing group cited as factors.

Shubman Gill Ranji Trophy Punjab qualification scenario and domestic window

Because Gill is not part of India's T20I group against New Zealand, there is a clear window for first-class appearances with Punjab, and Punjab's schedule in the latter half of the Ranji Trophy has them travelling to Rajkot to face Saurashtra from January 22, followed by a home fixture in Mullanpur against Karnataka from January 29, where Gill is expected to feature if available.

Punjab currently sit sixth in Elite Group B of the Ranji Trophy standings and face a tough route to the knockouts, yet the door is not shut, as Punjab still have a mathematical chance to reach the top two if they secure consecutive wins with bonus points in their last two league matches and rival teams drop enough points, which gives added significance to Gill's domestic involvement.

The sequence of Vijay Hazare outings, the New Zealand ODI series and the Ranji Trophy block offers Gill steady game time across formats, while also giving Punjab a senior international player for crucial fixtures, and the decisions outlined by the PCA official show Gill using domestic cricket to stay in rhythm after the T20I and T20 World Cup 2026 exclusion.