'Can't even play club level bowlers' - Fans react to Shubman Gill’s lean outing in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26

India's ODI and Test skipper Shubman Gill played his first match in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 against Goa on January 6 and failed to impress the viewers. The 26-year-old batter was dismissed on just 11 off 12 balls, including two boundaies. His failure in scoring runs has caught everyone's eye as the New Zealand series is set to start from January 11. 

After missing out on the South Africa series due to injury, Gill failed to participate in the earlier games of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 due to food poisoning. However, after getting the medical clearance, he joined the team as BCCI's guidelines have strict instructions for players to play atleast two matches in the domestic tournament. 

The fans expected some fireworks from Gill's bat against Goa but that didn't happen, raising questions about his performance. From February 2025, the right-handed batter hasn't scored a single half-century in the ODI format. While he might look in great shape, runs aren't coming off his bat and that is not a good sign for the Indian team.

Punjab beat Goa by six wickets

In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, Punjab chased down 212 runs in just 35 overs and went on beat Goa by six wickets. Harnoor Singh's 94 off 90 balls and 65-ball 68 runs knock from Naman Dhir were the reason behind this terrific victory. The bowlers did well too to dismiss the batters under a small total in the firat innings. Spinner Mayank Markande claimed three wickets and conceded just 29 runs in eight overs. 

Also read: Shreyas Iyer scores half-century in Vijay Hazare Trophy, puts selectors on notice 

For Goa, Suyash Prabhudessai (66) and Lalit Yadav (54) played s great knock but couldn't save the team from a defeat. With the tournament moving ahead, the players are looking in form and more dangerous than earlier. Hence, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the games turn out to be in the upcoming games. 

Where to watch IND vs NZ matches?

Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs New Zealand matches from January 11 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.

Also read: Former India bowler blames Test series loss against SA on Kohli-Rohit transition, makes eye-opening claim