Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019/20: Punjab announce 15-man squad, Shubman Gill to lead

What's the story?

Three-time runners-up Punjab have announced their 15-man-squad for the 2019/20 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. India’s rising star Shubman Gill will captain the team which also features Mandeep Singh, Siddarth Kaul, Mayank Markande and Sandeep Sharma.

The background

Punjab have been one of the most consistent teams in the history of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, having made it to three finals. Unfortunately for them, they had lost the summit clash in 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2014/15.

This year, Shubman Gill will try to lead Punjab to their first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title.

The heart of the matter

Sandeep Sharma will look to regain some form

With a host of former Indian internationals in their ranks, Punjab have a realistic chance of going all the way.

Besides Shubman Gill, the 15-man-squad also consists of Mandeep Singh, who is a former recipient of the IPL Emerging Player of the Year award. The team’s premier fast bowlers, Sandeep Sharma and Siddarth Kaul, have represented India in T20 cricket while Gurkeerat Singh Mann also possesses international experience. Leg-spinner Mayank Markande made his T20I debut earlier this year and is also a valuable asset.

Gurkeerat Singh Mann

Aside from the international stars, Punjab have also named 19-year-old all-rounder Abhishek Sharma, who has a strike rate of 171.42 in T20 cricket, in the squad. Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar and wicket-keeper batsman Prabhsimran Singh made their respective IPL debuts for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2019 and will be raring to build on that.

Ultimately, Punjab have named a very strong squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019/20 and will surely be one of the favourites heading into the competition.

Squad: Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sharad Lumba, Nikhil Choudhary, Anmol Malhotra, Karan Kaila, Mayank Markande, Harpreet Brar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul, Baltej Singh.

What's next?

The 2019/20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will start on 8th November. It will be intriguing to see if Punjab can capture the championship under Shubman Gill’s leadership.

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How far will Punjab reach in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2019/20? Share your views in the comments box below.

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