Indian Test captain Shubman Gill’s return to Ranji Trophy cricket ended in disappointment as he was dismissed for a two-ball duck during Punjab’s clash against Saurashtra in Rajkot on Thursday. Batting at an unfamiliar No. 5 position, Gill came to the crease with Punjab struggling at 73 for 3 but failed to open his account, trapped LBW by Saurashtra’s left-arm spinner Parth Bhut. Punjab were eventually bowled out for 139 in response to Saurashtra’s 172, trailing by 33 runs at stumps on Day 1.

Rare failure in domestic cricket

The dismissal was particularly striking given Gill’s strong domestic pedigree. This was his first Ranji Trophy appearance since January last year, when he had starred for Punjab with a century against Karnataka. Expectations were high as Gill looked to use the domestic fixture to gain crucial runs and regain form, but Saurashtra’s disciplined bowling ensured there was no room for recovery.

Parth Bhut’s five-wicket haul exposed Punjab’s fragile middle order, leaving them with a daunting task heading into Day 2. The duck adds to Gill’s recent struggles with the bat across formats and increases pressure on the 26-year-old skipper.

Captaincy under fire after ODI series losses

Gill has recently come under significant criticism for his disappointing run of form and, following India’s ODI series loss against New Zealand, his captaincy has also been heavily questioned. The young skipper replaced Rohit Sharma as ODI captain in October 2025 but has lost both the bilateral series he has played so far as captain.

He made his captaincy debut in Australia, where India suffered a series loss, and after missing the home series against South Africa, India once again lost a series against New Zealand under his leadership—India’s first-ever home ODI series defeat to the Kiwis.

Manoj Tiwary calls for Gill’s removal as ODI captain

Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary believes the BCCI should sack Shubman Gill as ODI captain and reappoint Rohit Sharma ahead of the 2027 World Cup. During a recent interaction with InsideSport, Tiwary said the BCCI should “course correct” and start preparing properly for the global tournament.

“Yes, absolutely. That’s what I’m suggesting because there’s still time to course correct. It’s about the World Cup. It’s not just about a bilateral series or a random tournament we are going to play,” Tiwary said.

Tiwary added that if Rohit had been the captain during the series against New Zealand, things would likely have been different. He went on to say that Rohit is “a lot better” than Gill as a captain and believes India will have a better chance of winning the World Cup under Rohit’s leadership.

“Rohit is not a little better than Shubman, but a lot better, currently. That’s why he’s such a successful captain. If Rohit becomes the captain, then there is an 85 to 90 percent chance of winning the World Cup,” Tiwary concluded.

Pressure mounts ahead of crucial matches

Gill’s two-ball duck in the Ranji Trophy comes at a time when he desperately needed runs to silence his critics and justify his position as both Test captain and ODI skipper. With India’s T20 World Cup defense set to begin soon and the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon, the young skipper will need to find form quickly to retain the confidence of selectors and fans alike.