Shubman Gill's Illness Casts Doubt on Duleep Trophy Appearance

India Test captain Shubman Gill is expected to miss the upcoming Duleep Trophy tournament starting August 28 in Bengaluru due to illness. The 25-year-old cricketer, who was appointed captain of the North Zone team, is currently resting at his home in Chandigarh after physios examined him and submitted a health status report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).The North Zone selection committee had anticipated Gill's potential absence from the inter-zonal competition due to the Asia Cup. However, as of August 22, they had not received any official communication from the North Zone associations regarding his availability.Even if Gill had been able to participate, his involvement would have been limited to North Zone's first game only, as he is scheduled to join the national team for the Asia Cup beginning September 9 in the UAE. The Duleep Trophy is scheduled to run from August 28 to September 15.The North Zone selectors had already made contingency plans for Gill's absence when announcing the squad. Shubham Rohilla was named as his replacement, while Ankit Kumar, who was originally appointed vice-captain, will now lead the North Zone side in the tournament.North Zone is scheduled to face East Zone in their quarter-final match at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence ground in Bengaluru. The selection committee had also prepared for other potential player absences due to national duties.Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana, who are part of the Asia Cup squad, will also leave the zonal side after the first game. The selectors have named Gurnoor Brar and Anuj Thakral as their respective replacements should North Zone advance beyond their first knockout game.Gill's potential absence comes after his impressive performance in England, where he scored 754 runs in five Tests during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. This performance led to his selection in India's Twenty20 squad for the Asia Cup, where he was also appointed vice-captain.