Cricket fans hoping to watch Shubman Gill in action during the Vijay Hazare Trophy will be left disappointed, as spectators will not be permitted for Punjab’s match against Sikkim in Jaipur on Saturday. The decision has been taken due to security concerns and the absence of sufficient arrangements to manage large crowds at the venue.
According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to conduct the match behind closed doors, allowing only students and staff of the host college inside the premises. To ensure safety, additional measures have been put in place, including the deployment of private security personnel and bouncers. No members of the general public will be allowed entry under any circumstances.
This is not the first time high-profile domestic matches have been played without spectators. Recently, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also featured in Vijay Hazare Trophy fixtures that were held without public attendance at the Centre of Excellence. In Rohit Sharma’s case, one of Mumbai’s matches had to be shifted from Anantam to the Sawai Man Singh Stadium due to anticipated crowd turnout.
Punjab’s squad will also feature Arshdeep Singh, who is scheduled to play two Vijay Hazare Trophy games against Sikkim and Goa. While the Sikkim match will be held at a local college ground, the clash against Goa is set to take place at the KL Saini Stadium. Travel delays caused by adverse weather conditions in North India have affected the arrival of Gill and Arshdeep, though officials expect them to reach Jaipur late at night if conditions improve.
Like several other closed-door domestic fixtures involving star players, Gill’s match will not be broadcast live. This further limits fan access, leaving followers to rely on score updates rather than live visuals.
The match marks an important moment for Shubman Gill, who is making a return to competitive cricket after recovering from an injury sustained during a nets session in Lucknow earlier in the T20I series against South Africa. Although he has been declared fully fit, Gill is also under scrutiny following his exclusion from India’s T20 World Cup squad, where selectors chose Sanju Samson instead. With recent form concerns and a period of rehabilitation behind him, the Vijay Hazare Trophy offers Gill a key opportunity to regain momentum and confidence at the domestic level.