The news for Shubman Gill return date finally has some positive news ahead of the upcoming IND vs SA T20Is. Gill had suffered a neck issue which forced him out for the remainder of the first Proteas Test and has been on the sidelines since, missing the second Test against as well and the ongoing three-match ODI series against the same opponents.
It is understood that the Indian Test and ODI captain will reach the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru today (December 1) and if all goes according to plan, Gill can be making a comeback soon. With the T20I series opener scheduled to be played in Barabati Stadium, Cuttak on December 9, Gill will likely join the rest of the team by December 6-7.
According to Cricbuzz, a source privy to the development has revealed, “The captain has put in a lot of hard work during the rehab process. It is up to the CoE now. If everything goes according to plan, he should be in Cuttack by December 6-7, when the T20I squad is expected to assemble.”
Earlier, after a checkup with spine specialist in Mumbai, Dr Abhay Nene, Gill was touted to miss all cricketing action for the remainder of the year with a possible comeback early next year during the New Zealand series. However, the latest development serves as an air of optimism, especially with the T20 World Cup 2026 lined up in February next year.
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On the other hand, premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has been out of action since the Asia Cup 2025, is expected to make a return to competitive cricket in the ongoing Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy (SMAT 2025) for Baroda with a national comeback in sights. His fitness will be duly monitored by national seletor Pragyan Ojha on December 2 and 4 for the games against Punjab and Gujarat respecrtively.
Talismanic pacer Jasprit Bumrah too will be available for the short-format games after missing the 50-over leg as he was rested to manage his workload. The management needs to extremely cautious in using Bumrah and keeping him fit for the ICC event in two month’s time.
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