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Gill, who featured in all three ODIs in the just-concluded series that India lost 1-2, has chosen to return to red-ball cricket immediately as he is not part of India’s T20 World Cup squad.

The 26-year-old is keen to help Punjab keep their slim knockout hopes alive in the premier domestic tournament.

“Shubman decided against taking any break post ODI series and it took him eight hours to reach Rajkot from Indore as there aren’t any direct flights, available,” a source close to the Punjab team told PTI.Punjab are currently placed sixth in Group B with 11 points from five matches.With three league games still to be played, the former champions would need outright victories in all their remaining fixtures to harbour any realistic chance of making it to the knockout stage.

Gill’s presence at the top of the order is therefore seen as crucial to Punjab’s ambitions.

The match against Saurashtra, the reigning domestic heavyweights, will also mark Gill’s first red-ball appearance since he sustained a neck injury during the Test series against South Africa, which ruled him out of competitive cricket for a lengthy period.His return is expected to significantly bolster Punjab’s batting line-up, which has been inconsistent so far this season.

Despite his growing responsibilities at the international level, the Indian captain has often stressed the importance of domestic cricket in maintaining form and match fitness.