After an impressive outing as Team India captain in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Shubman Gill is set to lead North Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, which begins on August 28 in Bengaluru.
This season, the Duleep Trophy returns to its traditional zonal format, with state selectors from each region responsible for picking their respective squads.
South Zone are the reigning champions, having clinched the title in the 2023–24 edition.
Gill, who guided a young Indian side to a hard-fought 2-2 draw in the five-Test series against England, emerged as the standout performer.
The 25-year-old amassed 754 runs in the series, including four centuries and a double ton, averaging 75.40.
Gill broke Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 732 runs to register the most runs by an Indian captain in a five-Test series.
A year ago, the idea of Gill participating in a domestic tournament despite being Team India’s red-ball captain might have come as a surprise.
But following India’s 3-1 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia, the Men in Blue bid farewell to the ‘superstar culture’.
A new set of rules issued by the BCCI, popularly referred to as the ‘10 commandments’, has since brought about a reset in Indian cricket.
One of the most talked-about was the mandate that players must make themselves available for domestic cricket to remain eligible for national selection. The decision has not only curbed the longstanding ‘superstar culture’ but has also breathed new life into the country’s domestic structure.
The shift was most visible when Virat Kohli, before calling time on his Test career, played his final red-ball game for Delhi against Railways in the Ranji Trophy at Feroz Shah Kotla on January 30.
Despite scoring just 6, Kohli’s presence drew a packed house, a rare sight for domestic fixtures in recent decades.
His appearance was followed by other senior players including Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Shubman Gill, all turning up to represent their state teams.
Gill’s availability for the North Zone side not only helps him stay in rhythm during the international break but also sets an example for other players to participate in domestic tournaments and stay match-ready.