India, Aug. 30 -- Many eyebrows were raised when India's Test captain and T20 vice-captain, Shubman Gill, did not feature in North Zone's opening match of the Duleep Trophy against East Zone. Gill was named as the captain of the side but instead of him, Haryana's Ankit Kumar stepped up to lead North Zone. A couple of days into he match, the real reason for Shubman Gill not leading North Zone has come to light.

Gill had to withdrawn from the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal against East Zone due to a bout of flu, which kept him grounded at his home in Chandigarh for several days. Gill had to skip the match on medical advice. His absence was a significant blow to North Zone, who were banking on his leadership and recent form in red-ball cricket....