New Delhi, Jan 14, 2025, IANS

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) India batter Shubman Gill has reportedly made himself available for Punjab's sixth-round Ranji Trophy fixture against Karnataka. He last featured in the Ranji Trophy in 2022, when he played against Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals in Alur. Gill's return to the mix will strengthen Punjab's squad which will be without senior players Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh, who have been named in India's T20I squad for the five-match series against England starting January 22 in Kolkata. According to an ESPNcricinfo report, the right-hander has confirmed his availability for the match against Karnataka, starting on January 23 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The 25-year-old's return to domestic cricket follows the Indian team management's implementation of strict guidelines for national players after India's 3-1 loss in the Test series in Australia. It also comes at a time when his poor performance outside of Asia, having averaged just 17.64 in 18 innings since June 2021, is being closely examined. Gill had a challenging stint in Australia, where he scored 31, 28, 1, 20, and 13 across five innings after returning from a finger injury that sidelined him for the series opener in Perth. His average in the series was 18.60. He was also omitted from India's XI for the Boxing Day Test, with KL Rahul filling the No. 3 spot, as Rohit Sharma moved back to the opening position after initially batting in the middle order during the second Test. Punjab's chances of qualifying for the Ranji Trophy playoffs are slim, as they are currently fifth in Group A with a solitary win in five games.