NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill will be firmly in the spotlight as the Ranji Trophy resumes on Thursday, with India's Test and ODI captain choosing to forgo a break and turn out for Punjab in a crucial Group B encounter against Saurashtra in Rajkot.Fresh from India's unexpected 1–2 ODI series defeat to New Zealand, Gill travelled straight to Rajkot, setting the stage for a high-profile contest against Saurashtra all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The match holds significance for both sides, with Saurashtra currently fourth on 13 points, while Punjab sit sixth and face a tough challenge in a group led by Karnataka on 21 points, three clear of Maharashtra.‘Give him time’: Gujarat Titans COO defends Shubman Gill’s ODI captaincyAttention will also be on Mohammed Siraj, another India regular, who is set to make his first appearance as Hyderabad captain at his home ground. Returning from international duty, Siraj has taken over the leadership from G Rahul Singh and will lead Hyderabad against 42-time champions Mumbai in Group D, marking his first Ranji outing of the season.Mumbai, unbeaten at the top of the group with three wins from five matches, will be without Ajinkya Rahane, who has made himself unavailable. Earlier this season, he also stepped down from captaincy.The side will continue under Shardul Thakur, with Jammu and Kashmir the only other team still in contention from the group.KL Rahul is also set to bolster Karnataka when they face Madhya Pradesh in Alur, strengthening the Group B leaders' push for a quarter-final berth, while Nitish Kumar Reddy will turn out for Andhra Pradesh against Vijay Hazare Trophy champions Vidarbha in Anantapur.India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, however, will miss out as he continues his rehabilitation from an injury sustained ahead of the New Zealand ODIs.In Group C, Bengal, leading the standings with 23 points, will host second-placed Services at the Kalyani Stadium on the outskirts of Kolkata, holding a four-point cushion going into the clash.The red-ball action in domestic cricket returns after a two-month pause for white-ball competitions, with two league rounds remaining before the quarter-finals begin on February 6.The knockout leg will be held simultaneously with the T20 World Cup with the summit clash scheduled from February 24-28.The top two teams from each of the four Elite groups will qualify for the quarter-finals.(With PTI Inputs)