Our Bureau
Mumbai
Indian Test skipper Shubman Gill, coming on the back of a legendary series, has made a statement for all the young players as he has been named in the 2025–26 Duleep Trophy squad. Indian cricket legend, Sunil Gavaskar has lauded the young captain’s decision has shown that he prioritises domestic cricket and at the same time has given the tournament a major boost as well.
Gavaskar, in his column, has applauded the Board of Control for Cricket in India for the way they have prioritised domestic tournaments by announcing senior players like Gill in Duleep Trophy 2025-26 squad. This comes off as a big step as domestic players and tournaments could benefit a lot with these big names in their squad.
“It was good, therefore, to see that after the tour to Bangladesh was postponed to next year, the BCCI resisted the pressure to send a team for a white-ball series to Sri Lanka this month. By doing that, the BCCI has prioritised domestic cricket, as it means that now most, if not all, of the top players will be available to play in the Duleep Trophy tournament starting shortly,” Gavaskar wrote in a column for Sportstar.
The Little Master also appreciated Gill for leading the North Zone team just after a long tour of England without taking a rest and has sent the right message to the youngsters who are watching. Although the fast bowlers were rested after the grueling English tour, Gavaskar believes it is for the best that they get a good rest for their bodies to heal.
“Shubman Gill captaining the North Zone team is a massive shot in the arm for this tournament. By being available for the tournament, the Indian skipper is sending the right signal to the other members of the team. It would have been understandable if, after a gruelling tour where five Test matches were crammed into a little over six weeks, he had opted to rest. The fast bowlers not playing is good thinking, as it has been an unusually hot summer in England, thanks to global warming, and their energies must have been expended after the untiring spells they bowled throughout the series,” the legend added.
