Will Shubman Gill Become Captain of this Team After Team India Snub?

The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) have announced the state's squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. The tournament will be played from December 2024 with Punjab set to play Maharashtra in their tournament opener on the same day.

The PCA have included Indian stars like Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Arshdeep Singh in the squad. But it is not certain if the trio will play the entire tournament with India set to play three ODIs against New Zealand starting January 11, followed by five T20Is from January 21.

It is expected that they will play some part in the tournament with Shubman Gill playing the greater role. He was dropped from India's T20I squad for the ICC T20 World Cup and the New Zealand T20Is despite being one of the best batsmen in the world.

Will Shubman Gill Become Punjab Captain in Vijay Hazare Trophy?

Apart from the trio of Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill and Arshdeep Singh, Punjab have also named some reputed names in the squad, which include Prabhsimran Singh, Naman Dhir, Anmolpreet Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sanvir Singh, and Harpreet Brar.

However, Punjab are yet to name the captain for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. With Shubman Gill in the side, it is expected that he will lead the team in whatever games he plays. Although he has been dropped from India T20I team for T20 World Cup 2026, he is still the captain of the Indian ODI and Test team.

Shubman Gill was also the vice-captain of the Indian team in T20Is when he made his comeback in the format during Asia Cup 2025. But a series of low scores worked against him as he was not only sacked as the vice-captain but was also dropped from the team.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy will be a great opportunity for him to showcase his skills and regain his form. The spotlight will be on him as has takes the field in the upcoming tournament for Punjab. Shubman Gill Vijay Hazare Trophy performance will be key, especially with how he was dropped from the T20I team.

Punjab Squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26

Punjab's squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy has some of the most dangerous batsmen in the world. After playing against Maharashtra, Punjab will be playing against Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa and Mumbai.

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.

They reached quarter-finals last year and would be hoping to go few steps ahead this year and win the title. It will be a great opportunity for Gill, Abhishek and Arshdeep to get in groove for the further International assignments.