Gill is special: Punjab head coach Sandeep

Thirty-three years is a long time — just ask Punjab, and they’ll tell you it feels even longer. The last time the State laid hands on a major red-ball title was back in the 1992-93 season, when it outclassed Maharashtra to be crowned champions of India’s premier domestic competition, the Ranji Trophy. Now, head coach Sandeep Sharma is hoping to turn the tide. Sharma believes his team has both the talent and the skill to go the distance this time around.

He also spoke about India’s Test captain Shubman Gill, who also represents Punjab, highlighting how his rise serves as an inspiration for the squad — along with Abhishek Sharma and Arshdeep Singh.

“We haven’t had red-ball success for a long time. This time we’ve consciously taken steps to focus more on red-ball cricket”, said Sharma. “We have a young and talented squad. We are guiding them while also learning from them. It’s a process, and I feel we’re in a good space at the moment”, added Sharma.

“Shubman is a special player. I’ve seen him since he was around 15 years old — we knew even then that he was destined to go far. It was clear — Shubman was going to be world-class.”

“Now he’s the captain of the Indian team and vice-captain in the white-ball formats. He has worked closely with Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh), and they share a strong bond. During Covid, he and Abhishek Sharma trained and stayed together — they used to work out, practice, and push each other. That kind of discipline and hunger pays off. What you see today is the result of consistent effort and focus.”

“You want to play for India? You need to have a 1000+ run season. That’s how you get noticed. Karun Nair made his comeback because of his consistency. That’s the mindset we’re trying to build — that hunger to go big. We just want to make sure the process is right, and we’re helping them along the way,” signed off coach Sharma.