Story by Bahari Duniya | Written by Ranjan Sharma
Spectators Not Allowed at Shubman Gill’s Vijay Hazare Trophy Game
New Delhi: Spectators will not be permitted to attend Indian ODI captain Shubman Gill’s maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy appearance on Saturday. Following the precedent set during Virat Kohli’s recent outings in the tournament both of which were conducted without fans in the stadium Gill’s match will also be played behind closed doors, with no public access to the venue.
After missing out on selection for India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, Shubman Gill is set to return to competitive action when Punjab take on Sikkim at the Jaipuria College ground in Jaipur on January 3. In line with a directive from the BCCI, the Indian skipper, along with frontline pacer Arshdeep Singh, will feature in Punjab’s upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy fixtures against Sikkim and Goa, scheduled for January 3 and January 6 respectively.
What’s the reason behind the decision?
While Punjab’s clash against Goa is scheduled to be played at the KL Saini Stadium, the encounter versus Sikkim will be hosted at a local college venue and conducted without spectators. Sources indicate that security-related issues, along with inadequate seating facilities for fans, prompted the decision to stage the matches behind closed doors.
A BCCI official told news agency PTI that access to the venue would be restricted, with only students and staff permitted inside the campus. The source added that adequate security measures, including the deployment of private bouncers, would be in place, and clarified that entry would be strictly prohibited for anyone from outside the college premises.
The fixtures were finalized well in advance. It was only due to Rohit Sharma’s participation and to manage expected crowd response that Mumbai’s game was moved from Anantam to the Sawai Man Singh Stadium,” the source explained.
Similar to the fixtures involving Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill’s match will also not be broadcast on television or streamed online. Both Gill and Arshdeep Singh are expected to reach Jaipur from their respective locations by late Friday night.
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