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Punjab have announced an 18-member squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, featuring marquee names Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, and Arshdeep Singh. Notably, the selectors have refrained from naming a captain in the official release.
Punjab will open their campaign against Maharashtra on December 24, with all seven league matches scheduled to be played in Jaipur, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Sport Star-studded squad, leadership decision pending
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The Punjab squad is stacked with batting firepower and versatile all-rounders. Alongside Gill, Abhishek, and Arshdeep, the team includes Prabhsimran Singh, Naman Dhir, Anmolpreet Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Sanvir Singh, and Harpreet Brar, offering depth across various departments. Gurnoor Brar and Krish Bhagat will spearhead the pace attack.
Despite the wealth of experience available, Punjab have kept the captaincy decision open, leaving room for a late call based on player availability and form closer to the tournament.
Sport The international calendar may affect availability
The participation of Gill, Abhishek and Arshdeep could be limited as India is scheduled to play three ODIs against New Zealand starting January 11, followed by a five-match T20I series from January 21. This overlap could see Punjab miss their star players during the knockout phase.
Punjab, who exited at the quarter-final stage last season, will be aiming for a deeper run this time. Arshdeep, the team’s leading wicket-taker in the 2024-25 edition, is expected to be a key figure once again. Placed in a competitive group with Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa and Mumbai, Punjab will wrap up their league-stage fixtures on January 8, just days before India’s ODI series begins.
Punjab’s Vijay Hazare Trophy squad: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Harnoor Pannu, Anmolpreet Singh, Uday Saharan, Naman Dhir, Salil Arora (wk), Sanvir Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Jashanpreet Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Harpreet Brar, Raghu Sharma, Krish Bhagat, Gourav Choudhary, Sukhdeep Bajwa.
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