India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill will be forced to spend an extended time on the sidelines after recent developments have ruled him out of the upcoming IND vs SA ODIs. Gill’s neck issue surfaced during India’s first innings in the IND vs SA 1st Test where he could play just three balls before walking out of the field. The dynamic right-hander eventually missed the rest of the contest before being ruled out for the ongoing second and decisive final Test.
It is understood that Gill will now likely miss all cricketing action left for this year with a potential comeback timeline set for next year during the home white-ball series against New Zealand in early January.
The latest update comes after Shubman had a consultation with Dr Abhay Nene, Spine Specialist in Mumbai. According to an internal mail accessed by Sportstak, Shubman has been given an injection to alleviate his symptoms and will need a proper period of rest before starting his rehabilitation process.
The mail read, “Dear Mr Agarkar, Shubman had a consultation with Dr Abhay Nene, Spine Specialist in Mumbai yesterday. He has had an injection to alleviate his symptoms and will need a period of rest before we commence rehab, training and skill activity. Therefore, he is ruled out of the forthcoming ODI series against South Africa.”
While the natural call would be to hand over the captaincy duties to ODI vice captain Shreyas Iyer, India face further concern since Iyer himself is ruled out for two more month after his freak rib injury during the India tour of Australia earlier in October.
In such a situation, the frontrunner for the role is wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who is Shubman’s deputy in red-ball cricket. Rishabh is currently marshalling the troops in Shubman’s absence in the Proteas Tests and is expected to continue in the same role when the teams lock horns in the ODI leg.
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Amidst pressing concerns, one positive has been Kuldeep Yadav’s availability for the ODI leg. For the unversed, Kuldeep had requested leave for his wedding which is slated to be held in last week of November, implying that he won’t be a selection option with the series starting from November 30. However, as things stand, the leggie will feature when the 50-over games when they begin.
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