Shubman Gill failed to make an impact with the bat on his return to the Ranji Trophy. Shubman Gill is currently captaining Punjab in the Elite Group B match of the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025-26 against Saurashtra at the Niranjan Shah Stadium C in Rajkot.
Shubman Gill fails in Ranji Trophy comeback
As India’s Test and ODI captain, there were massive expectations from Gill in the must-win game for Punjab against Saurashtra. But the right-handed batter struggled to make an impact and could not deliver with the bat in either inning against Jaydev Unadkat’s Saurashtra side.
The Indian captain was dismissed cheaply in both innings in the same fashion, and Parth Bhut got the better of Gill on both occasions, trapping him lbw each time.
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It was a frustrating outing for Gill, who would have hoped for a strong comeback after an ordinary ODI series against New Zealand at home.
Double trouble for Shubman Gill as Parth Bhut strikes twice
Having been dropped from India’s T20I setup, Gill badly struggled to counter the spin attack in the Ranji Trophy clash. In the first innings on January 22, the 26-year-old was out for a duck while batting at No. 5 after facing just two balls. He was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Parth Bhut.
On the next day in the second innings, Punjab were chasing a big target of 320 runs on a turning pitch and Gill came in at No. 4 and tried to build a partnership with Uday Saharan. He hit one boundary but could not survive against the Saurashtra attack.
Once again, Bhut got the better of Indian star. Gill was trapped lbw for 14 off 32 balls in the second innings while playing a sweep shot against Saurashtra in Rajkot. His wicket sparked a batting collapse as Punjab lost five wickets for just 13 runs with Bhut and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja firing for Saurashtra in their Ranji clash at the Niranjan Shah Stadium C.
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Parth Bhut runs through Punjab as Saurashtra seal dominant win
Eventually, Saurashtra registered an emphatic win over Punjab by 195 runs in Rajkot with Bhut and Jadeja each taking five wickets in the second innings. Bhut was the stellar bowler with the ball, finishing the match with a 10-wicket haul, while Ravindra Jadeja scalped only two wickets against Punjab.
With this crushing defeat, Punjab’s hopes of finishing in the top two and qualifying for the knockouts in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025-26 are over, as they have only managed to win one out of six matches played so far in Elite Group B.
Shubman Gill’s struggles
On the other hand, Shubman Gill is going through a tough phase in his career. His ODI captaincy began with a poor series in Australia, followed by injury issues and then his omission from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
His form has dipped badly, scoring only 196 runs in his last ten innings across the T20I series in South Africa, the ODI series against New Zealand, and domestic matches for Punjab. He managed only two fifties against New Zealand, and that is the only positive thing.
