Ranji Trophy 2026-27 begins with Gill out of Punjab's opener

The Ranji Trophy 2026-27 begins on Sunday, and the batter named to lead Punjab will not be at the ground. Shubman Gill is set to miss Punjab's opening fixture against Assam in New Chandigarh, PTI reported on Saturday. No official reason was given.

Uday Saharan takes the job instead. He captained India at Under-19 level. Round one runs from October 11 to 14. Punjab's second match is against Chhattisgarh, from October 18 to 21, and PTI reported that Gill could return for it.

Saharan leads a reshaped Punjab

Punjab's published squad list named Gill as captain and Abhishek Sharma as his deputy. Round one will read differently. Gill is not in the India A squad either. He is expected to play the first three one-day internationals in New Zealand later this month, which leaves a narrow window for red-ball cricket at home.

Gurnoor Brar is the other Punjab player caught between two sets of duties. He has been with the India squad for the one-day series against West Indies. He is expected to report to his state afterwards.

Selectors send internationals back to state sides

Gill's absence lands inside a wider push. The national selection committee has asked available international cricketers to turn out for their state teams in at least one Ranji Trophy match this season. Four have been tied to the opening rounds.

• Ravindra Jadeja for Saurashtra
• KL Rahul for Karnataka
• Akash Deep for Bengal
• Gurnoor Brar for Punjab

Akash Deep is in contention for the Test series in New Zealand, according to India TV. His Bengal appearance carries a second purpose. The committee asked for a minimum of one appearance each.

Group B puts Karnataka and Saurashtra in the way

Punjab are in Elite Group B. The other seven are Assam, Chhattisgarh, Hyderabad, Andhra, Tripura, Saurashtra and Karnataka. Karnataka lost last season's final. Saurashtra and Karnataka both have an India player reporting back. Punjab meet Karnataka last, in February.

Jammu and Kashmir carry the trophy into this season. They beat Karnataka in that final to win it for the first time, then met Rest of India in the Irani Cup in Srinagar earlier this month.

Three rounds at home before November

Punjab's first three fixtures are at home, according to the published schedule. Assam from October 11, Chhattisgarh from October 18 and Hyderabad from October 26. They travel to Andhra from November 2. The programme then breaks until January.

Tripura away comes first on the resumption, on January 17. Saurashtra follow from January 24 and Karnataka from February 1. If Gill does return against Chhattisgarh, he would get four days of first-class cricket before the New Zealand tour. Punjab will know for certain when the team sheet goes up on Sunday morning.