Why is Shubman Gill missing from action?

Trial and error, that could well be the headline for Indian cricket these days. As the 2025 sports calendar comes to a close, domestic cricket at home has been absorbing, just that the BCCI has not done well to telecast live or stream live, well, all the matches being played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

For those who feel domestic cricket is dead, it’s untrue. What has resulted by virtue of marquee players being pushed into action, be it a Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma or Rishabh Pant turning out for Delhi and Mumbai is, massive interest. In fact, Saturday has been an action-filled day, from various venues in India to Melbourne.

First the wicket at the MCG in Melbourne. Twenty wickets fell on Saturday on Day 1 of the fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England. Once again, the hosts hold an edge with a lead of 40-odd runs. As much as cricket fans should be enjoying the juice in the wicket and fast bowlers getting help, some folks are cribbing, how and why 20 wickets fell in a day.

For sure, cricket should not be a batter-dominated sport. What needs to be appreciated is how in a series which has already been decided, with the Aussies taking a 3-0 lead, crowds still swarmed ‘The G’ as the MCG is known for the Boxing Day Test. It shows, Test cricket, pure and pristine, is still alive and kicking. How Day 2 pans out will be interesting to see, but the Aussies are on a roll with nothing to lose. All eyes are on England, already battling a hangover after over-boozing!

Back to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Rohit Sharma did not score runs on Saturday in Jaipur. To say that Rohit disappointed fans would be wrong. He did score runs two days earlier. Hordes of cricket lovers still come just to catch a glimpse of the fit former India captain. And for lesser players who get to see Rohit in the arena is a learning experience.

In the outskirts of Bengaluru, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant were in their elements. King Kohli has been regaling the audience with virtuoso performances. Unfortunately, these matches are still not being played at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which is still dealing with clearance-issues over layout and structural problems. All this has been highlighted, further, after the June 4 incident, where fans were killed in a stampede following the RCB maiden title-triumph celebrations in the Indian Premier League.

Pant is caught in problems as well. Out of reckoning for the ICC T20 World Cup, he may miss the bus for selection in ODIs as well. The series featuring India and New Zealand in January 2026, a three-match affair will be high profile. Pant knows he has to keep performing.

That brings us to two more men, both battling fitness issues, Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer. Shreyas, after his spleen surgery in Australia, is back at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He is training with gusto. Whether or not he is selected for the ODI series against the Kiwis is unclear.

As regards Shubman Gill, the intrigue increases. Fans want him to do well, but not all things are hunky dory. Lest folks think I have something against Gill, he is definitely one of the most talented players in global cricket. It is just that, those who were in an overdrive to push him in all forms of cricket are now regretting the decision.

Gill did not turn out for Punjab on Saturday in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. There is more to it than meets the eye, as his fitness levels are questionable. When he sustained the neck injury in a Test against South Africa in Kolkata, it was serious. Truth to tell, he had issues in his back, which was shown in the MRI report. After that, he sustained a toe injury.

Gill not being fit is cause for concern, more for the player than Indian cricket. The kind of depth one can witness in Indian cricket today is massive. Gill cannot be pushed into cricket ASAP, unless he is fit and scores runs. Do not cite past records and averages. If there is a yardstick for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and others, apply the same for Gill as well.

Is it true, the ODI team selection for the series against New Zealand has been pushed back because of fitness concerns, not form? RoKo are firing, the worry is over Gill and if Shreyas can show a 100 per cent fitness level at the Bengaluru Centre.