Shubman Gill Injury Update: Will Team India Star Return for T20I Series against South Africa?

Team India captain Shubman Gill is recovering from a neck injury that ruled him out of the Test and ODI series against South Africa. He is undergoing rehab at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, with his T20I participation still uncertain."

Team India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill is not part of the ongoing ODI series against South Africa due to a neck injury sustained during the first Test against the Proteas at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. Gill was later ruled out of the second and final Test of the series at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, where Team India lost the match, resulting in a Test series whitewash at the hands of South Africa.

In the absence of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant stepped in as the stand-in skipper for the Guwahati Test, but the match ended in a disaster as the hosts suffered a massive 408-run defeat to South Africa, who clinched their first Test series win on Indian soil in 25 years. Since Gill could not recover from the neck injury in time, KL Rahul took over captaincy duties in the ongoing ODI series against South Africa.

Under the captaincy of Rahul, Team India won the series opener by 17 runs at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30.

Shubman Gill’s Neck Injury Update

After having been ruled out of the Guwahati Test and the ongoing ODI series against South Africa, Shubman Gill's return to action raises questions. After being sidelined from the second Test, the 26-year-old travelled to Mumbai for the physiotherapy sessions after withdrawing from the Guwahati Test at the last minute.

As per a report by the Times of India (TOI), Shubman Gill has returned home to Chandigarh to spend time with his family while recovering from a neck injury. On Monday, he will travel to Bengaluru to undergo recovery and rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence. A BCCI source privy to the development confirmed that the India Test and ODI captain did not experience any discomfort while travelling from Kolkata to Guwahati, then Mumbai, and finally to Chandigarh.

“There are no red flags at the moment, and he has taken multiple flights — Kolkata to Guwahati, Guwahati to Mumbai, Mumbai to Chandigarh and now Chandigarh to Bengaluru — without any discomfort. All efforts right now are aimed at having him back on the park, but it will not be a rushed process,” the BCCI source told the TOI.

After Shubman Gill retired hurt on 4 due to a neck injury in the Kolkata Test, and the viral video of him coming out of the hospital with gauze covering the affected area circulated widely, raising concerns about his possibility of returning to action for the remainder of the year. It was reported that Gill will remain unavailable for the remaining year due to a neck injury and will likely make a comeback in the white-ball series against New Zealand in January.

Will Gill Return for the T20I series vs South Africa?

After having been ruled out of the ODI series against South Africa, there has been uncertainty looming over Shubman Gill’s participation in the T20I leg. As per the TOI report, Gill will begin batting just a week before the first match of the T20I series on December 9.

As per the BCCI source, Shubman Gill is ‘100%’ fit and ready to ‘grind’ and reaffirmed that the India star batter will return to the squad.

“The moment he is 100% and feels ready for the grind, he will be back with the squad. He is an important all-format player, and everyone wants him to be absolutely ready,” an official privy to the development.

Shubman Gill is leaving no stone unturned to regain his match fitness and is reportedly working hard to be back in action for the T20I series against South Africa. Shubman is a key player for Team India in next year’s T20 World Cup, as the Men in Blue aim to defend the crown which they won last year, defeating South Africa in the final.