Shubman Gill set to feature in Punjab's Shere-e-Punjab T20 League
What's the story
India's Test and ODI captain, Shubman Gill, will return to action this week as the team embarks on a crucial two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. However, even before that, he has committed to playing in Punjab's newly-launched Shere-e-Punjab T20 league. The tournament will begin on August 30, just two days after India's Sri Lanka tour ends.
Tournament details
Other current T20I stars likely to participate
Gill will be joined by Gurnoor Brar from the national side.
Other current T20I stars like Arshdeep Singh and Abhishek Sharma are also likely to participate.
The league will conclude on September 13, after a series of matches between six franchises representing Amritsar, Fazilka, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, and Bathinda.
Each franchise will have one marquee player and at least two icon players.
Gill's remarks
Gill praises the initiative
At a tournament-related event on Sunday, Gill said, "The Sher-e-Punjab T20 League is a fantastic platform for young cricketers to showcase their talent and progress toward playing for Punjab and India."
He added that Punjab has always produced outstanding cricketers and he believes this league will help discover many more.
Gill congratulated the Punjab Cricket Association for this initiative and wished the league great success.
Status
Opportunity for Gill to bounce back in T20Is
Gill recently led India in the three-match ODI series in England.
While the Men in Blue lost 1-2, the Indian skipper racked up 188 runs from three innings at an average of 94.00. His scores read 80, 31, and 77*.
Gill isn't an active member of India's T20I side at the moment. He was excluded from the ICC T20 World Cup squad after being appointed the vice-captain.