Gill to head to Mumbai for specialist opinion on neck spasm having already been ruled out of the Guwahati Test.
Shubman Gill “will head to Mumbai for further assessment of his injury,” BCCI says in a media statement.
Shubman Gill will not play in the second Test in Guwahati, which begins on Saturday, after suffering a neck injury during the first India vs. South Africa Test in Kolkata. India’s captain will be Rishabh Pant, who took the lead in Kolkata following Gill’s exit.
After spending time under observation in a hospital in Kolkata, Gill flew to Guwahati on November 19. However, he is now unable to play in the game. Gill “will head to Mumbai for further assessment of his injury,” according to a Friday morning statement from the BCCI.
It was acknowledged that playing so soon after recuperating puts Gill at risk for more neck spasms. More rest has been recommended for him. His inclusion in the ODI team for the three games against South Africa beginning on November 30 may also be affected by the development. On November 23, the team for that series is anticipated to be selected.
India must select one of B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, or Nitish Kumar Reddy to replace Gill since no replacements have been announced.
Gill was sent to hospital after the second day of the Kolkata Test after he retired hurt having faced only three balls in India’s first innings. The BCCI announced early on the third day that he would not be participating in the Test going forward. After being bowled for 93 in a chase of 124 on a surface with variable bounce, India lost the match by 30 runs. In October 2024, Gill also missed a Test match against New Zealand because of a neck spasm.
In a news conference on Thursday, Sitanshu Kotak, the batting coach for India, stated that the squad would not play Gill if there was a possibility that the spasm may recur.
“He is definitely recovering really well,” Kotak said. “Now, the decision [whether to play him or not] will be taken tomorrow evening. The physios, doctors, they will have to take a call that, [even] if he is fully recovered, [during the] game, he should not get that spasm again.
“[…] If we have a, guarantee that, very likely, he won’t have this issue again, then he will play. If there is a doubt, then I am sure, he will take rest [for] one more game, because it won’t be helpful to the team [if he plays].”