India skipper Shubman Gill scored just one run on his Ranji Trophy return for Punjab against Chhattisgarh. Spin-bowling all-rounder Ajay Mandal dismissed him with a brilliant delivery that knocked back his off-stump, providing a crucial breakthrough for his team.
India skipper Shubman Gill’s preparation for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand didn’t have the ideal start, as he was dismissed for just 1 run in Punjab’s second Ranji Trophy match against Chhattisgarh at PCA International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh on Sunday, October 18.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss by skipper Uday Saharan, Punjab had a decent start to their first-innings batting, with openers Vihaan Malhotra (40) and Harnoor Singh (20) formed a 55-run partnership before the latter was dismissed by Ajay Mandal, who trapped him with LBW.
Thereafter, Punjab lost two quick wickets in Vihaan Malhotra and star batter Shubman Gill (1) and reduced to 68/3 in 26.3 overs, leaving the visitors in a spot of bother as Chhattisgarh's bowlers tightened their grip on the first innings.
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Ajay Mandal Gets Big Wicket of Shubman Gill
As Punjab stumbled further under sustained pressure, spin-bowling all-rounder Ajay Mandal dismissed India Test captain Shubman Gill for just one run, handing Chhattisgarh a crucial breakthrough in the ongoing Ranji Trophy clash.
Walking out to bat at No.4 after Vihaan Malhotra’s dismissal at 65/2, Shubman Gill was expected to make the best of the opportunity against the disciplined Chhattisgarh bowling attack, given his international experience and reputation as one of the finest modern-day batters. However, the domestic arena often proves to be an ultimate equalizer.
Gill’s stay at the crease lasted just five balls, as Ajay bowled a peach that pitched on a good length, drifted in slightly, and spun away just enough to beat the defensive prod and knock back his off-stump.
Shubman Gill, who is playing his first domestic cricket since his last Ranji Trophy match against Saurashtra in January 2026, where he managed just 14 runs. India Test skipper missed Punjab’s opening match of the ongoing Ranji Trophy season, as he was rested for the fixture against Himachal Pradesh ahead of India's international commitments.
His last competitive appearance was in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, where he scored a double century in the second outing and aggregated 335 runs, including a double century and a century, at an average of 167.00 in three matches.
Who is Ajay Mandal?
Ajay Mandal is not a new face in the domestic circuit. Hailing from Durg district of Chhattisgarh, Mandal made his domestic debut in a Ranji Trophy match against Tripura in October 2026. In 2017, he made his T20 debut against Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, before making his mark in List A cricket when he faced Hyderabad in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match in 2018.
Ajay has been Chhattisgarh’s stalwart through the years, consistently delivering match-winning spells with his slow left-arm spin and chipping in with crucial runs down the order. The 30-year-old had a breakout Ranji Trophy 2019-20, when he played a record-breaking 241-run innings against Chhattisgarh and aggregated 483 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 69 in nine innings.
In the 2022-23 season, Ajay Mandal picked up 35 wickets at an average of 20.60 in 14 innings. In the 2024/25 Ranji Trophy season, the 30-year-old has aggregated 384 runs, including 5 fifties, at an average of 54.85 in nine innings. Distinctively, the spin-bowling all-rounder is the first Chhattisgarh bowler to reach the milestone of 100 wickets in the Ranji Trophy.
Apart from his appearance in domestic cricket, Ajay Mandal has also featured in the IPL, representing Chennai Super Kings (2023 and 2024) and Delhi Capitals, where he has been part of the squad since the 2025 season, although he has yet to make his IPL debut.
In his First-Class career, Ajay Mandal has aggregated 2047 runs, including 5 centuries and 9 fifties, at an average of 35.29, and picked up 131 wickets, including 5 fifers and 4 four-wicket hauls, at an average of 30.01 and an economy rate of 2.78 in 46 matches.
In T20 cricket, Ajay has aggregated 490 runs and picked up 52 wickets in 52 matches, while he has scored 625 runs and scalped 42 wickets in 37 List-A matches.
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