Shubman Gill is all set to join the long list of Indian stars who will feature in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. After being shockingly left off of India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad, Shubman Gill will now return to domestic cricket with Punjab.
Punjab has named a strong 18-member squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, but they have not yet named the captain despite including several Indian stars. India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, explosive opener Abhishek Sharma, and star pacer Arshdeep Singh have been named in the squad for the prestigious tournament.
Shubman Gill returns to domestic cricket with Punjab after ICC T20 World Cup 2026 snub
They were all part of the recent T20I series against South Africa at home. But only Arshdeep and Abhishek found a place in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad. Well, along with the three Indian stars, Punjab selectors have solid hitters and reliable all-rounders in the squad for the tournaments.
IPL headline makers like Prabhsimran Singh, Naman Dhir, Anmolpreet Singh, Ramandeep Singh, and Harpreet Brar have been included in the team to add depth to both the batting and bowling departments. The pace attack will be led by Gurnoor Brar and Krish Bhagat.
However, there is uncertainty around how many matches Gill, Abhishek, and Arshdeep will be available for in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. India is set to host New Zealand in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting January 11, followed by a five-match T20I series from January 21.
Gill, who was recently dropped from India’s T20I plans for the T20 World Cup and the New Zealand series, will captain the Indian ODI side. On the other hand, Abhishek and Arshdeep will be part of the T20I series, making themselves unavailable for Punjab in the 50-over tournament.
Punjab look to make big impact in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26
Punjab has been placed in a group featuring Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa, and Mumbai. They will begin their campaign against Maharashtra on December 24, and the team looks really strong to make a serious push in the tournament.
Punjab will play all seven of their league matches in Jaipur, with the league stage ending on January 8, just a few days before the ODI series between India and New Zealand. The upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 will be star-studded, as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and others are set to be seen in action for their respective teams in the tournament.
The team will be keen to do better this season, as they were knocked out in the quarter-finals last year. Arshdeep was Punjab’s highest wicket-taker in the 2024–25 season.
Punjab Squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26:
Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Anmolpreet Singh, Uday Saharan, Naman Dhir, Salil Arora (wk), Sanvir Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Raghu Sharma, Krish Bhagat, Ramandeep Singh, Jashanpreet Singh, Gourav Choudhary, Sukhdeep Bajwa
