By Karan Agrawal 
India’s number three batter in test cricket Shubman Gill is all set for a return to the Ranji Trophy after a gap of two and a half years. The right-hander has made himself available for Punjab’s game against Karnataka. The move which sees India’s first-choice players make a return to domestic cricket is followed by a strict guideline that makes it mandatory for every player who hasn’t been selected in any of the three squads to play domestic cricket.
The Return
Apart from playing the Duleep Trophy game which Gill featured in September 2024, the right-hander hasn’t played a Ranji Trophy match since June 2022 when he played for Punjab in the quarterfinal match against Madhya Pradesh where he managed scores of 9 and 19 in Punjab’s 10 wicket loss.
The Performance
“Yes, Shubman Gill is available for Punjab’s Ranji match against Karnataka on January 23,” a source within the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) confirmed to Hindustan Times. If we talk about Gill’s recent form the right-hander had a forgetful tour of Australia as he was unable to score a single half-century in the three matches that he played on the tour.
The Availability
As far as the availability of other players who were a part of the India team during the tour of Australia is concerned middle order batter Sarfaraz Khan won’t be able to play in the match against Jammu & Kashmir owing to a rib injury an MCA source told Hindustan Times “Sarfaraz has injured his ribs and has informed us about his unavailability for the next Ranji Trophy match,” the MCA source said. On the other hand Indian captain Rohit Sharma was seen in the nets practicing with Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy Team ahead of their next match.
The Opportunity
Among other batters opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal has made himself available for Mumbai’s next Ranji Trophy match scheduled to begin on January 23 an MCA source told Hindustan Times about the development while wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant will make his first Ranji appearance for Delhi since 2017. On the other hand, there is still uncertainty over former captain Virat Kohli’s participation in Delhi’s match against Saurashtra.