Punjab have listed Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh in an 18-man squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, set to open against Maharashtra in Jaipur on 24 December.
That star trio may not be around for long. India host New Zealand for three ODIs from 11 January and five T20Is from 21 January. Gill is expected to lead the one-day side, while Abhishek and Arshdeep are part of the T20 party, so their domestic availability is fluid.
Power remains the theme. Prabhsimran Singh, Naman Dhir, Anmolpreet Singh, Ramandeep Singh and Sanvir Singh all offer boundary-hitting depth, with left-arm spinner-all-rounder Harpreet Brar adding balance. Young quicks Gurnoor Brar and Krish Bhagat bolster the seam attack, which could still hinge on Arshdeep if schedules permit.
Punjab reached last season’s quarter-finals, Arshdeep finishing as leading wicket-taker. This time their group features Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa and Mumbai. Every league match is in Jaipur, ending 8 January – three days before the first India–New Zealand ODI.
The state association has not yet named a captain. A Punjab Cricket Association official said, “We’ll finalise the leadership once we know exactly how much cricket Shubman can play.” The same official added that “player workloads will be assessed on a match-to-match basis.”
Punjab squad
Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Anmolpreet Singh, Uday Saharan, Naman Dhir, Salil Arora (wk), Sanvir Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Jashanpreet Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Raghu Sharma, Krish Bhagat, Gourav Choudhary, Sukhdeep Bajwa
Gill, Abhishek and Arshdeep will grab the headlines, but the coaching staff believe depth rather than star power will decide whether Punjab move beyond last season’s finish.
