Gill Out Of Must-Win Test Against South Africa; Heads To Mumbai For Assessment; BCCI Confirms

Shubman Gill will miss the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati after he sustained a neck injury during the first Test in Kolkata.

The injury, which required hospitalisation after Day 2, has prevented him from training or participating in the crucial fixture.

The BCCI confirmed on Friday that Gill will now fly to Mumbai for additional medical evaluation.

Gill travelled with the team to Guwahati on 19 November but missed practice sessions as his condition did not improve.

India, having lost the first Test by 30 runs, now faces a must-win situation without their designated captain.

BCCI Statement

In an official release, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said the medical team had declared Gill unfit to take the field.

“Team India captain Shubman Gill, who suffered a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa, has been ruled out of the second Test in Guwahati. He was taken to the hospital for examination after the end of the day’s play and later discharged. After travelling to Guwahati, he remained unfit for selection and will now head to Mumbai for further assessment. Rishabh Pant will lead the team in the second Test in Gill’s absence,” Saikia announced.

Consultation in Mumbai

Gill reportedly took an early-morning flight from Guwahati to Mumbai on Friday.

He is expected to consult Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, Head of the Centre for Sports Medicine at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital.

Dr Pardiwala will determine the next steps in Gill’s recovery plan.

The sports medicine specialist is already overseeing the treatment of Shreyas Iyer, who continues to recover from a spleen laceration sustained during India’s ODI series in Australia.

Iyer is back in Mumbai but remains unavailable for selection for several months.

Gill, too, is now doubtful for India’s upcoming ODI series against South Africa, beginning on 30 November.

With Gill sidelined, Rishabh Pant will become India’s 38th Test captain and the second wicketkeeper-batter after MS Dhoni to lead in the format.

Pant previously captained India in the 2022 T20I series against South Africa.

He will also be India’s seventh Test captain in five years, tasked with securing a series-levelling victory in Guwahati, which is hosting its first-ever Test match.

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