India’s Test captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025 due to illness, according to multiple reports. The tournament is set to begin on August 28 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru. Gill, who was originally named captain of the North Zone squad, is recovering at his home in Chandigarh after undergoing a medical evaluation. The report submitted to the BCCI confirmed that he would not be fit in time for the tournament.
With Gill unavailable, vice-captain Ankit Kumar will take over as North Zone captain. Shubham Rohilla has been drafted into the squad as Gill’s replacement. The absence of the star opener is a setback for the team, as Gill was expected to play a key role after his record-breaking performance in England, where he scored 754 runs in a five-match Test series at an average of 75.40, including four centuries.
North Zone will also see key changes as Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who have both been included in India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, will feature only in the opening match against East Zone before leaving for UAE. Gurnoor Brar and Anuj Thakral have been named as their replacements.
The updated North Zone squad includes Ankit Kumar (captain), Shubham Khajuria, Ayush Badoni, Yash Dhull, Ankit Kalsi, Nishant Sindhu, Sahil Lotra, Mayank Dagar, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Kanhaiya Wadhawan (wk), and Shubham Rohilla. Reserves feature Shubham Arora (wk), Jaskaranvir Singh Paul, Ravi Chauhan, Abid Mushtaq, Nishunk Birla, Umar Nazir, and Divesh Sharma.
Shubman Gill will soon join India’s national side as vice-captain for the Asia Cup 2025, scheduled from September 9 to 28 in the UAE. India, under captain Suryakumar Yadav, will open their campaign against the hosts UAE on September 10 in Dubai, followed by a highly anticipated clash against Pakistan on September 14 and a group match against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi. While his absence in domestic cricket will be felt, fans will be eager to see Gill return to full fitness for the continental tournament.
