Gill’s Ranji Trophy comeback lasts five balls as Mandal strikes

Shubman Gill scored just one run on his return to the Ranji Trophy as Punjab faced Chhattisgarh. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami missed Bengal’s match against Services, with his absence unexplained despite training with the squad on Saturday

New Chandigarh: India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill’s much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy ended in disappointment as he was bowled for one by left-arm spinner Ajay Mandal in Punjab’s second-round Elite Group B match against Chhattisgarh at the New PCA Stadium here on Sunday.

Coming in at No. 4 after Vihaan Malhotra was trapped lbw by Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Gill lasted just five balls and scored one run before Mandal beat him on the third ball of the 27th over with a delivery that held its line and slipped through the gate to hit the middle stump.

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Gill, 27, had skipped Punjab’s opening game of the season against Assam but made himself available for the clash against Chhattisgarh to get some red-ball practice ahead of India’s tour of New Zealand.

Though Gill is not in the T20I squad, he will be part of India’s touring side for five ODIs and two Tests, with the tour forming a crucial part of the team’s build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup. The Test series will also be important for India’s hopes of securing a berth in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Gill, however, will play only three ODIs before missing the last two matches to prepare for the Test series, which will be played in Christchurch and Wellington.

Elsewhere, veteran pacer Mohammed Shami missed Bengal’s ongoing match against Services at the Air Force Complex ground in Palam. Shami had trained with the Bengal squad on Saturday, but there was no official word on his absence from Bengal’s second-round clash.

His younger brother, Mohammed Kaif, came into the playing XI in his absence. Shami had made an impressive start to the season by claiming five wickets, including a four-wicket haul, in Bengal’s opening game against Delhi in Kalyani.

Bengal were also without pacers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, who have left for New Zealand to join the India A team for the red-ball series.

Shami has been a regular for Bengal in the previous and current domestic seasons and was also part of the East Zone side that won the Duleep Trophy in the 2026-27 season. However, he has not played for India since the 2025 Champions Trophy and was once again overlooked for the upcoming tour of New Zealand.