Shubman Gill leads star cast as Ranji Trophy resumes after break

Rajkot, Jan 21 (PTI) All eyes will be on Shubman Gill when Ranji Trophy resumes on Thursday after India's Test and ODI captain decided against taking a break and opting to turn up for Punjab against Saurashtra in a key Group B clash here.

After India's unlikely 1-2 ODI series loss to New Zealand, Gill headed straight to this city, setting up a marquee duel against Saurashtra all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

The fixture carries weight for both teams, with Saurashtra placed fourth on 13 points. Punjab sit sixth and face an uphill task in a group led by Karnataka on 21 points, three ahead of Maharashtra.

Another India regular in focus will be Mohammed Siraj, who is set for his first outing as Hyderabad captain at his home ground.

Siraj, returning from International duty, replaces G Rahul Singh in the role and will lead Hyderabad against 42-time champions Mumbai in Group D, also marking his first Ranji appearance of the season.

Mumbai, unbeaten at the top of the group with three wins from five matches, will be without Ajinkya Rahane, who has made himself unavailable. Earlier this season, he also stepped down from captaincy.

The side will continue under Shardul Thakur, with Jammu and Kashmir the only other team still in contention from the group.

KL Rahul is also set to bolster Karnataka when they face Madhya Pradesh in Alur, strengthening the Group B leaders' push for a quarter-final berth, while Nitish Kumar Reddy will turn out for Andhra Pradesh against Vijay Hazare Trophy champions Vidarbha in Anantapur.

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, however, will miss out as he continues his rehabilitation from an injury sustained ahead of the New Zealand ODIs.

In Group C, Bengal, leading the standings with 23 points, will host second-placed Services at the Kalyani Stadium on the outskirts of Kolkata, holding a four-point cushion going into the clash.

The red-ball action in domestic cricket returns after a two-month pause for white-ball competitions, with two league rounds remaining before the quarter-finals begin on February 6.

The knockout leg will be held simultaneously with the T20 World Cup with the summit clash scheduled from February 24-28.

The top two teams from each of the four Elite groups will qualify for the quarter-finals. PTI TAP PM TAP PM PM