The Indian men’s Test captain Shubman Gill is all set to represent North Zone in the Duleep Trophy 2025, a move that has drawn high praise from cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar.
The 25 years old Punjab batter was named in the squad last week for the six-team tournament, which will begin in Bengaluru on August 28. Alongside Shubman Gill, the North Zone side will also feature notable players including Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj and Mohammed Shami.
Sunil Gavaskar, writing in a sports column for a magazine, commended Gill for setting the right example by making himself available for the tournament despite the demanding international schedule.
He noted that it would have been understandable if Shubman Gill had chosen to rest after a grueling five-Test series compressed into just over six weeks but his decision to play reflects his dedication to the game and his willingness to inspire teammates. Gavaskar called Gill’s captaincy for North Zone a “big boost” for the Duleep Trophy.
The former Indian skipper, who was the first batter to cross 10,000 Test runs, also lauded Shubman Gill’s performances in the recently concluded series against England. Across the five matches, Gill showcased exceptional form, amassing 754 runs with the help of four centuries.
Sunil Gavaskar described his batting as “pure” and memorable, highlighting it among the standout moments of the series. He also acknowledged other key contributions, including Ben Stokes’ all-round heroics, the relentless spells by Indian fast bowlers, Joe Root’s elegant centuries and the trademark aggressive stroke play of Rishabh Pant and Harry Brook.
Along with this, Little Master reserved special praise for Mohammed Siraj, singling out his perfectly executed yorker that knocked over Gus Atkinson’s off-stump to secure a win in the Oval test and level the series. He described this moment as one of the most satisfying for Indian cricket fans in recent times, especially after a disappointing previous Test season.
Shubman Gill certainly deserves the praise!
