Team India captain Shubman Gill is keen to include Test regulars in the Ranji Trophy to gain more red-ball match practice amid recent struggles in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). Gill feels that domestic performance is important to keep the players ready for the longer formats and the 2027 ODI World Cup.
With Gill gradually establishing himself as the Test captain, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is willing to give him more freedom to shape the team to suit his ideas. The young batsman took over the leadership role at the start of the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship in June following Rohit Sharma’s retirement.
Shubman Gill urges players to play more Ranji Trophy matches
India will next play a red-ball match in August, when they tour Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series. According to the Times of India report, Gill wants the regular players to be ready for matches in the longer format. He is keen to give him adequate red-ball exposure before the next international assignment.
Many of India’s current players are expected to feature in the upcoming Ranji Trophy round. Gill wants to play at least one domestic match before joining their respective teams for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season.
“Captain Shubman Gill is keen to ensure that the regular players get adequate red-ball game time before the next assignment,” the report said.
“The upcoming edition of the Ranji Trophy will feature many of India’s current stars as Gill wants them to play at least one match before joining their respective Indian Premier League (IPL) teams for the 2026 edition.”
Shubman Gill, Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar ordered for red-ball preparations ahead of IPL
In the past, many players have given up on red-ball preparation before the IPL. Before the start of the ODI series against New Zealand, head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and Shubman Gill discussed the issue and agreed on the need for better planning.
Gill is not part of the 2026 T20 World Cup team. He is currently leading India in ODIs and Tests. The batsman is already shaping plans for the ongoing World Test Championship cycle and ODI World Cup.
Gill has repeatedly highlighted the importance of proper preparation before a Test series. Ahead of the New Zealand ODI, he also said that players need a flexible calendar to help them manage workload while being prepared for longer formats.
“One suggestion I was very keen on was, if you look at the last two Test series that we played, we didn’t have that much time to prepare,” Gill said during the pre-series press conference.
BCCI gives life to Kuldeep Yadav after poor performance in New Zealand ODI
India’s team management is clearly focusing on improving its ODI plans, especially in the middle overs. They want a reliable first-change seamer who can take wickets and create pressure. Despite the poor performance in the series against New Zealand, the team management is continuously supporting Kuldeep Yadav.
They also want to prepare fast bowlers for the future. Harshit Rana has been identified as an option for the middle overs due to his ability to hit the deck and vary his pace. Prasidh Krishna is also being supported regularly, as his extra bounce and pace can trouble the batsmen.
Mohammad Siraj will remain an important part of the ODI setup. The new ball-change rule has brought reverse swing back in ODIs and Siraj has the skills to use it effectively.
With Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna, India have identified a strong fast bowling core for the years to come. Under the leadership of Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir, the main objective is to provide consistent success in the middle overs.
Also read: Rohit Sharma indirectly called Suryakumar Yadav a burden on Team India.
