Shubman Gill return bolsters Punjab’s Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign

As the Punjab team reached the Rajasthan Cricket Academy ground on a cold Monday morning, a handful of fans waited patiently to catch a glimpse of Shubman Gill.

He waved at them and even clicked a few pictures before being engaged in a game of foot volley with his teammates. Having missed out on Punjab’s last Vijay Hazare group league fixture against Sikkim due to illness, Gill was in great spirits, cracking a few jokes with his colleagues and engaging in banter.

Remaining atop the points table in Elite Group C, with 16 points from five matches, Punjab needs to win one of its two remaining matches to make it to the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockouts. On Tuesday, when it takes on Goa at the K.L. Saini Stadium, the batting department will be bolstered by the presence of Gill.

While Prabhsimran Singh is likely to continue as the captain, it will be a perfect preparation for Gill, leading up to the ODI series against New Zealand, scheduled to begin later this week.

Before heading to Jaipur, Gill trained at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali under the guidance of his mentor and PCA’s coaching director, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, for a couple of weeks.

“His presence will certainly be a huge motivation for the Punjab team, because the youngsters can learn a lot from him. When we were young, we learnt a lot, playing with Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh. Similarly, being India’s Test and ODI captain, Shubman will inspire the current crop,” Gurkeerat told  Sportstar.

“Shubman is someone who gets involved with everyone. He makes it a point to talk to every player and make them comfortable. He is very involved in the whole process…”

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After he returned to Mohali, following his neck injury during the Test series against South Africa, Gill initially struggled to get back in shape, as he was in ‘a lot of pain’. But Gurkeerat, a former India cricketer himself, advised him to stay positive.

“After the neck injury, he suffered a foot injury during the T20I series, and when you suffer two back-to-back injuries, it becomes a challenge, but he slowly bounced back and is preparing for white-ball cricket,” Gurkeerat added.

While Gill would spend hours in the nets in Mohali, it was a heartbreak for him as he was omitted from India’s squad for the T20 World Cup. “Everybody is disappointed, and it’s quite natural. But he is coping well, and he knows that it’s part of the journey,” Gurkeerat said, adding: “He has taken it in his stride and is working hard. He had long sessions, and he hopes to make the most of the opportunities that come his way…”

Having followed Gill’s journey since his formative years, Gurkeerat believes that his skill, work ethics and game awareness make him stand out. And that’s one of the reasons why he could shrug off the disappointments of the T20 World Cup omission and focus on his game again.

Published on Jan 05, 2026