Shubman Gill is expected to link up with the Punjab squad on January 1 and be available for its Vijay Hazare Trophy group league matches against Sikkim and Goa in the first week of January. Punjab has already won its opening two games in the tournament.
Although there was speculation that the India Test and ODI captain might join the team earlier for the third and fourth group fixtures, sources in the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) have confirmed to Sportstar that Gill has assured his availability for the matches scheduled on January 3 and 6.
According to a PCA source, Gill will join the team in Jaipur around January 1 for the two fixtures. While the batter is keen to play Punjab’s final group league match against Mumbai, his participation in that game will depend on the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) schedule for preparatory camps ahead of the home series against New Zealand.
India are set to face New Zealand from January 11, with a preparatory camp likely to be held in Vadodara a few days before the series. Should the camp overlap with the Mumbai fixture, Gill may be forced to miss that match.
