Shubman Gill designated as state icon of Punjab for Lok Sabha polls - Reports

Star India cricketer Shubman Gill has reportedly been appointed as the state icon of Punjab for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The development comes after Gill's splendid show with the bat in 2023, where he became the highest run-scorer for India in a calendar year, scoring 2154 runs in 52 innings across formats, including seven centuries and 10 fifties.

The right-handed batter recently starred with the bat against England in the second innings of the second Test, scoring a century to help India register a 106-run win and bounce back in the five-match series.

The No. 3 batter then slammed 91 against the same side in the second innings of third Test, where the hosts triumphed by a massive margin of 434-run to go 2-1 ahead in the series.

Besides being a cricketer, Gill had lent his voice for the Hindi version of Spider-Man: Across the spider-verse last year.

As per a report in PTI, Chief Electoral Officer Sibin C said that Gill will engage in various campaigns aimed at voter’s awareness to aid in a voting turnout of at least 70 per cent. The state had registered a voter turnout of 65.96 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Sibin believes that the first-time voters would be influenced by Gill.

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Lok Sabha polls to coincide with IPL 2024

The upcoming Lok Sabha polls will coincide with the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Amid this, IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal has confirmed that the cash-rich league will take place in India and the BCCI will work with the government before finalizing the schedule. Dhumal recently told IANS:

“We will work with the Indian government, and agencies to make sure that the league takes place in India. We are waiting for the schedule of the general election to be announced and then we will plan accordingly…like which state will host what game at the time of election will be planned that way.”

For the unversed, a total of 74 matches will be played in IPL 2024 from March to May (tentative schedule).