Several regular members of the Indian cricket team will take part in the upcoming Ranji Trophy, which begins this week. These players are not part of India’s T20 World Cup plans and have chosen to focus on domestic cricket until IPL 2026. Key names include Test captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Rishabh Pant, however, is likely to miss this phase of the tournament after suffering an injury before the IND vs NZ ODI series.

KL Rahul will return to domestic red-ball cricket for Karnataka in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2025–26 season. The right-handed batter will play Karnataka’s Group D match against Punjab, starting January 29 in Mullanpur.

As per a Times of India report, Rahul will not feature in Karnataka’s January 22 match against Madhya Pradesh in Alur but is expected to join the squad for the Punjab game. This move follows the BCCI’s push for senior players without international commitments to play domestic cricket.

The Punjab vs Karnataka match is drawing attention as Shubman Gill is also expected to play for Punjab. Gill has already joined the Punjab squad for their January 22 match against Saurashtra in Rajkot, which will also include all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Gill earlier decided to spend more time in red-ball cricket after being left out of India’s T20 World Cup plans.

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Punjab’s Qualification Challenge

Punjab face a tough task in the Ranji Trophy. They need to win both of their remaining group matches to stay in the race for the knockout stage. Matches against strong teams like Saurashtra and Karnataka make their path difficult.

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Updates on Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jadeja and Pant

All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will continue to represent Andhra in their remaining group matches against Vidarbha and Nagaland. Andhra are placed second in Group A and have a strong chance of qualifying. Reddy is in good form after scoring a half-century in the recent ODI series against New Zealand and is seen as a backup option for Hardik Pandya in limited-overs cricket.

Ravindra Jadeja is set to return to action for Saurashtra in their January 22 match against Punjab. He last played in the ODI series against New Zealand, where he did not make much impact. His red-ball career remains safe, but he needs match practice ahead of the next Test series against Sri Lanka. In the 2025 Test season, Jadeja scored 764 runs and took 25 wickets in 10 matches.

India Test vice-captain Rishabh Pant is unlikely to feature in the Ranji Trophy. He was not named in Delhi’s squad for the match against Chhattisgarh and is expected to continue his recovery at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

The Indian team is getting ready for their first match in 2026, as the Men in Blue are hosting New Zealand for the three-match ODI series, starting on Sunday (January 11). Before the beginning of the ODI series, Indian Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill spoke about the importance of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the team. 

Former Indian captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli now only play the ODI format, as both have retired from the other two international formats. Both Rohit and Kohli are in great form with the bat, as they are scoring comfortably. 

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It makes your life easier: Shubman Gill about the presence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

The present Indian Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill feels that both Rohit and Kohli make handling the team easier. 

Before the home ODI series against New Zealand, Gill said, “The two names that you have taken — one is one of the greatest openers of all time, Rohit Sharma, and Virat bhai is one of the greatest ODI batters ever. So definitely, when you have these two in your team, it makes your life easier."

Gill emphasised Rohit and Kohli's experiences, which he can utilise during a tough phase of any game.

Gill added, "Whenever you are in a tough situation, they have been in those kinds of situations and conditions many times in their life, so you can always go to them and see how they are thinking and what they would do, and that piece of information is very valuable for any captain."

Will Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli be present in the next ODI World Cup?

While India are ready to host the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026, which will run between February 7 and March 8, 2026, it is also the time to start preparation for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, which South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia will host in October-November 2027.

Indian cricket fans are hoping to see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the next ODI World Cup to end their long wait for the ICC ODI World Cup.

India’s Test and ODI captain, Shubman Gill, has enjoyed a very good year in 2025. He has been consistent in all formats and has led the team by example. The 26-year-old has shown strong form throughout the year.

Gill has scored 1,764 runs from 35 international matches in 2025 at an average of 49. His tally includes seven centuries, which shows his ability to convert starts into big scores. At present, he is the highest run-scorer across all formats this year.

England’s Joe Root is close behind him in the race. Root has scored 1,598 runs from 24 matches and needs only 166 more runs to overtake Gill. He will have a chance to do this in the upcoming Boxing Day Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Although his record in Australia has been mixed, Root has often stepped up in big matches, including a century in the Day-Night Test at the Gabba earlier in the series.

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Most international runs in 2025

England Under Pressure in the Ashes

England are in a tough position after falling 3–0 behind in the Ashes series. Joe Root will be keen to make a big impact as the Three Lions try to avoid a clean sweep and earn their first Test win in Australia in the last 14 years. England came into the series hoping to win back the urn, but their campaign has been disappointing, with Australia clearly on top. With very little room left for mistakes, senior players like Root and captain Ben Stokes must lead from the front and help England fight back in the remaining matches.

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Why Gill Missed Out on the T20I Squad

Shubman Gill, meanwhile, has been dropped from India’s T20I squad. Despite doing well in Tests and ODIs, the Punjab batter could not find form in the shortest format. In the recent series against South Africa, Gill failed to make good use of his chances. As a result, he was replaced by Ishan Kishan in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad.

Shubman Gill, the T20I vice-captain of the Indian cricket team, after a long string of poor and low scores in the shortest format, has been dropped from the home T20 World Cup 2026, which is going to begin on February 07 with the defending champions facing the United States of America (USA) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Gill has found himself in a tough phase of the shortest format with the help of only 291 runs in 15 innings at an average of 24.25 and a strike rate of 137.26, with the best score of 47, as he ended the 2025 with no half-century to his name. That was always a concern for the team management, and once Sanju Samson got the chance and played a firing knock in Ahmedabad, the ice broke.

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On December 20, the selection committee, under the chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Suryakumar Yadav, decided to drop the Punjab batter out of the event, with them going after the young wicket-keeper batter, Ishan Kishan, back into the national side post his heroics in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025/26 to win the title for Jharkhand.

Shubman Gill dropped from India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad

Kishan has been in fine touch with the help of 517 runs in the SMAT 2025/26 in 10 innings at an average of 57.44 and a strike rate of 197.32, thanks to two centuries and as many half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 113, including a century in the final.

“Shubman is unfortunate to miss out, but it is just the combinations. He has been short of runs, but nobody is talking about Jaiswal; he is missing as well. At the end of the day, you are looking to see different options and the best combination to give you the best chance to do well in the World Cup.” Agarkar expressed in the press conference.

India also opted to go after Rinku Singh, instead of Jitesh Sharma, in the middle order. The same squad will also feature in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home ahead of the event.

India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad:

Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh.

Shubman Gill is walking like a cat on the hot tin roof for his struggling T20I record in the ongoing year. In the ongoing year, the right-handed batter has collected only 263 runs in 14 innings of the shortest format at an average of 23.91 and a strike rate of 142.93, with the best score of 47 that came against Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2025.

Gill is yet to celebrate a single half-century in the T20Is of the year, which will put pressure on the Indian management to drop him, especially to bring Sanju Samson into the eleven, as the latter could provide the wicket-keeping option along with opening the batting. But the former South Africa captain, AB de Villiers, doesn’t accept the idea.

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“Come on!! Do me a favor. Shubman Gill has failed just once or twice, and we are already talking about replacing him. We have to be patient. They need someone like him because they have so many aggressive batters in the Indian batting line-up.” De Villiers said in his YouTube video.

Ab de Villiers offers unique idea to play Shubman Gill in T20Is

There had been calls to bring Yashasvi Jaiswal into the T20I set-up. The left-handed batter, who has notched up 723 runs in 22 innings at an average of 36.15 and a strike rate of 164.31 with the help of five fifties and one century at the best score of 100, has earned success. And de Villiers isn’t denying it either.

Watch the video here: 

Ab Devilliers backs Shubman Gill :

Gill has failed just once or twice & we are already talking about replacing him we have to be patient, we need someone like him, ICT is already full of aggressive batsmen I would rather shift Gill at 3 & bring jaiswal as a opener pic.twitter.com/9V2NM05Muc

— Ironix (@ironix269) December 13, 2025

“Yes, Yashasvi Jaiswal is one of the best players I have ever seen to play the game. So, there is a spot for him. I wouldn’t put him for Gill. I will probably have Gill at three with Jaiswal opening the batting.” The former Protea batter noted.

If India does bring Jaiswal at the top and drop Gill at number three, then it will be against Tilak Verma, who has also done everything right to retain his place. India’s third encounter against the Rainbow Nation in the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala on December 14 could prove to be a do-or-die clash for Shubman Gill.  

Amidst the loud noise outside the Indian dressing room to open with Sanju Samson in the T20I side, the management continues to keep faith in Shubman Gill, who also stretches his poor record in the shortest format. In the opening game of the ongoing five-match series against South Africa, Gill failed to get his rhythm back after returning from a long-time injury.

In the second game of the Protea series, he was edged into the slip region against Lungi Ngidi for a golden duck. He now has bagged 841 runs in 35 innings at an average of just over 28 and a strike rate of 140.40 with the help of three fifties and one century. His fight is with Samson, who has grabbed 995 runs in 43 innings at 25.51 and a strike rate of 147.40.

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However, Gill’s recent record has put the alarm bells ringing before the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. In the ongoing year 2025, he has got only 263 runs in 13 T20I innings at an average of 26.30 and a strike rate of 143.72 with no half-centuries.

Shubman Gill continues poor T20I form with golden duck vs South Africa

Due to his poor form, India has struggled to get going in the opening partnership. The responsibility remains too much on his partner, Abhishek Sharma, to unleash his beast mode with the bat. Abhishek and Gill have overall collected 500 runs for the opening stand in 16 innings.

Since the beginning of September 2025, Gill has featured in 14 T20I innings for India and has scored only 263 runs at an average of 23.90 at a strike rate of 142.93, with the best score of unbeaten 47 runs. His contribution for the national side is vital as whenever India loses a T20I clash, his average drops to 8.38 with 67 T20I runs in eight innings at the best score of 31.

Shubman Gill’s year-wise T20I performance 

In terms of breaking the dismissal modes of Shubman Gill, most of them have been caught by the fielders. He has been dismissed by such order 15 times, which is 51.7% of his overall career. The other two most common ways of dismissal have been bowled and leg before the stumps, which took place five times at 17.2%. 

In his three-year T20I career, Gill was awarded the player of the match award only once in T20Is, which was against New Zealand in February 2023. The right-handed batter celebrated his unbeaten 126 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Gill’s overall T20 record is decent with 5384 runs in 170 innings at an average of 37.13 and a strike rate of nearly 140, thanks to six centuries and 32 half-centuries at the best score of 129. But he needs to kick off on the international stage to shut the noise and gain confidence.

The Indian management, under captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir, decided to give him a long stretch at the opening position by benching Samson. In that method, they also got Jitesh Sharma back into the team in the middle order and with the gloves.

However, they might not be able to continue the combination if Gill doesn’t turn up fire in the last eight remaining T20Is before the ICC event. His next mission will be on December 14 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala.

Before the beginning of the second T20I of the five-match series against South Africa at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, the former all-rounder of the Indian side, Yuvraj Singh, turned up at the ground and met the national side. He had a warm discussion with the two youngsters- Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.

Later, Yuvraj Singh met the head coach of the Indian side, Gautam Gambhir, and had another interaction with the premier all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who was the biggest contributor behind the home side’s 101-run victory in the previous encounter at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Yuvraj also enjoyed a candid moment with Kuldeep Yadav, who didn’t get his place in the eleven.

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The 2011 World Cup-winning member of the Indian side was present at the ground as he and the captain of the women’s team, Harmanpreet Kaur, received the honour of having stands named after them. He celebrated the occasion alongside their loved one and the Punjab Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann.

Yuvraj Singh meets Indian team during IND vs SA 2nd T20I

India’s captain, Suryakumar Yadav, won the toss and decided to bowl first without any hesitation. He also confirmed that the dew had already started to form in the ground even before the beginning of the fixture. They retained the same playing eleven while the Proteas brought back George Linde, Ottneil Baartman, and Reeza Hendricks into the eleven.

Watch the video here:

Yuvraj Singh with shubham gill and Abhishek Sharma ❤️#ShubmanGill #AbhishekSharma pic.twitter.com/0WcNvnQHr4

— MistuX🫅 (@4everGill7) December 11, 2025

Unlike the previous contest when the Proteas were bundled out for a low score in the 176-run chase, the visitors got a successful and strong start with the bat. Aiden Markram, the captain, played a struggling knock of 29 runs in 26 balls with the help of one boundary and two sixes, but the focus was on Quinton de Kock, who drilled 88 runs in 43 balls with the help of five boundaries and seven sixes to shoulder the South Africa side to 147/2 in 14 overs.

Arshdeep Singh didn’t enjoy the evening, leaking 38 runs without any success in three overs, while Varun Chakravarthy had two wickets in three overs for 25 runs.

It was the second day’s play of the opening Test between India and South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where the red-ball captain, Shubman Gill, injured his neck while attempting a slog sweep and immediately looked in pain as the doctor decided to take him off the field. He didn’t return for the rest of the contest and missed the second game in Guwahati, with Rishabh Pant getting the leadership.

Shubman Gill was admitted to the Wooden Hospital in Kolkata before being discharged in two days, as he was part of the second Test squad initially before the BCCI decided to leave him out. He returned home to spend some time with the family before turning to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

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On December 03, there was a review meeting scheduled for the announcement of the T20I squad against South Africa. It was delayed only because of Gill’s fitness. The right-handed batter will need the fitness certificate from the BCCI CoE, which will be passed to the selection committee for the squad selection.

Shubman Gill likely to be part of India’s T20I series against South Africa

Gill was involved in multiple sessions in Bengaluru. He jogged around the pool, besides going through a light batting session towards the end. It will take some time for the batter to get fit, which means he will stay at the CoE for a few more days. That means he may not start the series against the Proteas at home but could return for the last two games.

🚨Gill rehab might take a few more days, with the plan being not to rush the T20 vice captain back into action.@rohitjuglan with details.@ThumsUpOfficial #ShubmanGill pic.twitter.com/FgdDP9UNgM

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) December 3, 2025

In Gill's absence, the management could give chances to Yashasvi Jaiswal, as per the Revsportz reports. Jaiswal could likely open the batting with Abhishek Sharma, while Sanju Samson could be dropped down to the middle order. Gill didn’t enjoy a great time in the T20Is in the Asia Cup and Australia.

Gill will aim to be back in the T20I squad. Apart from the home Protea series, India will face New Zealand at home in the five-match T20I series before heading into the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, apart from the warm-up clash against South Africa.  

Shubman Gill was spotted in an all-black attire while he was going to the Centre of Excellence (CoE). After a rehab program, his date for an international comeback can be finalized. The captain of Team India's Test and ODI teams, Shubman Gill, is out of action due to a neck spasm. The right hand batter received the injury at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata when India was playing the first match of a 2-match Test series against South Africa.

 In the first innings of the match, when Gill went to bat, he injured his neck after playing a sweep shot. The physio rushed onto the ground for medical assistance, but that did not help the batter to carry on the match. Gill left the pitch immediately, and since then, he has been out of the ground.

 During his absence, Rishabh Pant was the stand-in captain, and for the ongoing ODI series, KL Rahul is named as the captain of Team India. When will Shubman Gill be back in action? As of now, there is no clear confirmation about the matter, as he is currently recovering from the injury.

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When will Shubman Gill again play for Team India?

Captain Shubman Gill on his way to the Centre of Excellence.

- He looks fully recovered from the neck spasm.
- He is set to play the first T20 on the 9th.
- He will undergo a 2 day rehab program at the COE.

It is great to see him back ❤️ pic.twitter.com/i5Z5f0Bq88

— GillTheWill (@GillTheWill77) December 1, 2025

It is reported that he will undergo a 2-day rehab program at the Centre of Excellence. After that, the board can make a final call on his return. It is believed that if things go according to the plans, then the top-order batter can feature in the upcoming 5-match T20I series against South Africa. After the conclusion of the ongoing ODI series, both teams will lock horns for a five-match T20I contest.

The series is scheduled to start on December 9 and will continue till December 19. Will Gill get back his fitness before the beginning of the Twenty20 series? The answer is yet to be gotten.

India’s newly appointed ODI captain, Shubman Gill, is anticipated to miss the upcoming three-match series against South Africa, starting next week as the red-ball leader was ruled out due to a serious neck injury than initially thought as the reports claimed. Gill picked up the injury during the opening Test against the Proteas at the Eden Gardens and missed the second Guwahati game.

Gill’s recover timeline has extended which has prompted the selectors to consider a stop-gap captain and adjust the squad before Ranchi. India's vice-captain, Shreyas Iyer, is also sidelined with a rib cage injury sustained during the previous 50-over series against Australia down under. In this scenario, KL Rahul is poised to return to the leadership role after a two-year gap.

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“All tests are being conducted to determine whether it’s a muscular strain or a nerve-related issue.” The source of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as quoted by the Times of India (TOI) has revealed. The officials have also indicated that Gill’s issue could involve muscular or nerve complications, rather than a simple neck spasm.

KL Rahul expected to lead India in ODI series vs South Africa

Gill consulted the spinal specialist Dr Abhay Nene, with the findings being set to the chief selector, Ajit Agarkar. With his fitness being uncertain, the management won’t take any risk for the ODIs while Gill remains doubtful even for the T20I series, starting on December 09.

Rishabh Pant, who has been leading the Blue Brigade in the second Guwahati Test, was considered for the role. However, his lack of ODI experience recently having been out of the side in the last few series and tournaments have weakened his case. KL Rahul’s situation is more practical in these consideration.

Rahul is India’s first-choice ODI wicket-keeper and a former captain and now emerges as the most practical replacement. Due to Iyer’s injury, Rahul’s position will be more natural to lead the Indian side in the Rainbow Nation. Post the ODI series, India’s next 50-over clash will be against New Zealand at home.