Shubman Gill Benched for Punjab Vijay Hazare Match

In a surprising decision, Shubman Gill was left out of Punjab’s playing XI for their Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–26 match against Sikkim on Saturday. The match took place at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya Ground in Jaipur.

Gill had been out of action for some time due to injuries and was expected to make his return to competitive cricket in this match. However, his name appeared only on the list of substitute players, which surprised fans and cricket observers.

So far, there has been no official statement from the Punjab team about why Gill was left out of the playing XI. However, a report by Sportstar said that the Indian Test and ODI captain may have missed the match due to food poisoning.

More clarity is expected once the team management issues an official update on his condition.