Why Has Punjab Not Announced a Captain for Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26?

The Punjab Cricket Association has announced the Punjab Squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with their season set to begin against Maharashtra on December 24. The squad features three established Indian stars, Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Arshdeep Singh, giving the team a strong core of experience ahead of the domestic 50-over tournament.

Along with the national players, Punjab has announced a very strong squad of stroke players and all-rounders. The batting group includes Prabhsimran Singh, Naman Dhir, and Anmolpreet Singh, and all of these batsmen are known for their aggressive intent, while Ramandeep Singh, Sanvir Singh, and Harpreet Brar add all-round excellence to the group with their ability to contribute in multiple departments. In the bowling unit, Gurnoor Brar and Krish Bhagat are expected to have major responsibility in leading the pace attack.

Although the Punjab Squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy has been announced, but notably they haven't announced the captain of the side because of a few interesting reasons.

Who will be Punjab Captain for Vijay Hazare Trophy?

The availability of Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Arshdeep for the full competition remains uncertain due to India’s international commitments. India is scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting January 11, followed by a five-match T20I series from January 21. Shubman Gill, who was recently left out of India’s T20I squad for the T20 World Cup and the New Zealand T20Is, is set to lead the Indian side in the ODI series, while both Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh have been named in the T20I squad.

So, the state management might be waiting for the exact availability of these marquee players because if Gill is available for the majority of the tournament, then we will see Shubman Gill Captain for Punjab; otherwise, Abhishek Sharma emerges as another option to lead the team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Punjab, who were knocked out in the quarter-finals last season, will play all seven of their league-stage matches in Jaipur. They have been drawn in a competitive group featuring Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa, and Mumbai, with the league phase set to conclude on January 8, just three days before India’s first ODI against New Zealand. Arshdeep Singh, one of the best bowler in India, was Punjab’s highest wicket-taker in the 2024–25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, and the team will hope for a similar impact if he is available.

Punjab Squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26

Shubman Gill, Abhishek and Arshdeep will not be available for the full duration of the tournament, with India set to play a three-match ODI series against New Zealand from January 11, followed by a five-match T20I series starting January 21. The scheduling clash raises the possibility of Punjab being without their star players during the knockout stages.

Shubman Gill captaincy might be the ideal case for Punjab, but if he is not available, then the other alternative includes Abhishek Sharma. If he gets selected in the ODI squad for the NZ series, then Punjab's management might go ahead with the leadership option of Prabhsimran Singh. Let's have a look at the complete Punjab Squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Punjab Squad:

Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Anmolpreet Singh, Uday Saharan, Naman Dhir, Salil Arora (wk), Sanvir Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Jashanpreet Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Raghu Sharma, Krish Bhagat, Gourav Choudhary, Sukhdeep Bajwa.