Why Shubman Gill is Not Playing Today in Maharashtra vs Punjab Vijay Hazare Trophy Match?

The Indian cricket domestic season continues to make waves, running parallel to the international schedule, offering players a chance to shine and dream of a national setup. The ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy has already gained a lot of eyeballs for star names returning to List A cricket. With all developments happening, fans were excited to see India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill in action after his recent snub from India’s T20 World Cup Plans.

Gill was named in the Punjab Squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy, and all were hoping to see him in action with their inaugural match against Maharashtra. However, when the playing XI’s were announced, Gill's absence quickly made headlines and became the talking point, triggering the questions around Shubman Gill not playing today.

For fans, Shubman Gill dropped from Punjab vs Maharashtra Vijay Hazare Trophy match was a surprise, especially after his omission from the T20 format and also his vice-captaincy. So, here, we will talk about why Shubman Gill is not playing today in the Maharashtra vs Punjab match, or we will discover if Shubman Gill dropped again.

Why Shubman Gill is Not Playing Today?

Gill was named in the Punjab squad and was expected to feature in the opening match against Maharashtra along with Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh. Gill, along with Arshdeep, was expected to play just two or three games with the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, as they are part of the ODI tour.

However, fans were surprised to see that he was not included in the playing XI and was benched for this match. Earlier, he was expected to make it to the Maharashtra vs Punjab Playing XI, but then the team management decided to go with a combination that would remain stable for most of the league stage, with Abhishek Sharma, the best T20 batsman in the world, leading the side in the top order.

Gill’s absence is not because he is unfit or injured, but rather is a strategic call. With Gill’s limited availability in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Punjab is aware that he will only be part of the squad for a few matches, and as a result, Shubman Gill was dropped from the playing XI. The decision also highlighted that the management is looking for players who are to play for longer durations and are in form.

Shubman Gill's T20 Form

Shubman Gill has been recently omitted from the national T20 setup due to his poor form in the format and lack of stable innings. Gill is probably one of the best batsmen in the world, however, he was dropped from the New Zealand series and also from the T20 World Cup 2026 after his consistently poor form in the shortest international format despite him being the team's vice-captain.

Over the last four months, Gill has played in 15 T20 innings and has scored only 291 runs, without scoring a fifty. While he has been dropped from the opening match, he is expected to play in the upcoming matches of Vijay Hazare Trophy till the start of the bilateral ODI series and could be seen in the next matches of Punjab cricket team.