Shubman Gill's Ranji struggle continues, falls prey to same bowler for 14 after notching duck

India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill endured a rusty outing in the Ranji Trophy 2025-2026 clash between Punjab and Saurashtra in Rajkot. After recently being dropped from the national T20I squad, Gill struggled to find his rhythm against a disciplined spin attack, failing to make the significant impact many expected from a player of his caliber.

Shubman Gill falters again

The star batter’s struggles were consistent across both innings as he fell victim to the sweep shot on both occasions. After a disappointing two-ball duck in the first innings, he managed only 14 runs off 32 balls in the second. Left-arm spinner Parth Bhut proved to be Gill’s nemesis throughout the match, successfully trapping him lbw in both stints at the crease.

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This performance marks a frustrating period for the Indian captain, who was looking to regain his form following a lackluster ODI series against New Zealand. Instead of building momentum for upcoming international fixtures, Gill’s double failure against Saurashtra raises further questions about his current approach to playing spin in the domestic red-ball format.

Punjab go down to Saurashtra

Talking about the match, in a dominant display, Saurashtra secured a crushing 194-run victory over Punjab on a surface that heavily favored the bowlers. Tasked with chasing a formidable target of 320 on a deteriorating pitch, the Punjab batting lineup crumbled, eventually being bundled out for a meager 125 runs in their second innings. The match was characterized by extreme spin dominance, as evidenced by the fall of 40 wickets in just two days of play, 23 on the opening day and 17 on the second.

Parth Bhut was the undisputed star of the match, following up his first-innings five-wicket haul with an even more lethal performance. He dismantled Punjab’s second innings by taking 5 wickets for just 8 runs across 10 overs. He was ably supported by fellow spinner Dharmendra Jadeja, who claimed five wickets for 55 runs. Punjab offered little resistance to this spin duo, with Uday Saharan’s patient 31 off 71 balls standing as the highest individual score in a losing effort.

Earlier in the match, Saurashtra’s lower order played a crucial role in setting up the win. Resuming at 24 for three and later stumbling to 75 for five, the home side seemed vulnerable with a lead of only 108 runs. However, a spirited counter-attack led by Prerak Mankad’s rapid 56 and Ravindra Jadeja’s 46 helped push their second-innings total to 286. Contributions from Hetvik Kotak and an unbeaten 37 from Bhut ensured Saurashtra set a target well out of Punjab's reach.

With this result, Saurashtra has bolstered their standing with 18 points from six matches, while Punjab remains stagnant at 11 points after the same number of games.