India's ODI and Test skipper Shubman Gill's return to the domestic cricket has been delayed after he was forced to miss Saturday's fifth-round game of the Vijay Hazare Trophy due to food poisoning, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Gill arrived in Jaipur on Friday afternoon and was expected to feature in Punjab's match against Sikkim.
The team management decided to rest the star batter after based on the doctor's advice, prioratising his long-term well being. Gill will be leading Team India in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand starting on January 11 in Vadodara.
"Gill didn't feel well at night and was advised to rest by the doctors. He is, however, understood to be recovering well and is likely to play in the sixth round on January 6 against Goa, before linking up with the ODI squad, which is set to be announced over the weekend," a team source confirmed to ESPNcricinfo.
Gill has battled injuries and fitness issues over the past few months.
He just faced three balls in the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata in November 2025 before being ruled out of the two-match series with a neck injury.
He then sustained a toe injury during the T20I series against the same opponents in December and was eventually left out of India's squad for the T20 World Cup.
Despite Gill's absence, Punjab delivered a clinical performance to dismantle Sikkim, winning the match by 10 wickets.
India pacer Arshdeep Singh claimed 5/34 as Punjab bundle out Sikkim for just 75 runs in 22.2 overs after electing to field first. Only three Sikkim batters reached double figures.
Punjab overhauled the target in just 6.2 overs. Prabhsimran Singh led the charge with a blistering half-century, smashing an unbeaten 53 off only 26 deliveries.
Punjab's remaining matches are against Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Mumbai, with league-stage fixtures wrapping up on January 8, just before India's first ODI on January 11.
Punjab next face Goa on January 6.
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