NEW DELHI: Team India captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the must-win second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, dealing the hosts a major setback ahead of the series decider. Gill, who missed the second innings of the opening Test in Kolkata after suffering a neck injury, had travelled with the squad to Assam but will not take the field on Saturday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Gill’s injury, sustained on Day 2 at Eden Gardens, forced him to sit out India’s chase of 124 — a pursuit that ended in a 30-run defeat. Though the 26-year-old was discharged from a Kolkata hospital and appeared without a neck brace on arrival in Guwahati, the medical team advised against exposing him to the physical intensity of a five-day match. According to an NDTV report, Gill was “desperate to play” but the risk of aggravation was deemed too high.
The report further added that India will turn to 24-year-old Sai Sudharsan to fill the void at the top. The left-hander, who debuted in England in June, has featured in five Tests, scoring 273 runs at 30.33. His last outing, against West Indies in October, included a composed 87, and the team management believes his temperament suits the high-stakes scenario.Gill’s injury management will now likely extend beyond the current match. News agency PTI reported that the Indian skipper may need at least 10 more days of recovery and rehabilitation, making his participation in the upcoming ODI series, beginning November 30 in Ranchi, highly doubtful. With little on the line in that series, selectors are expected to rest him before bringing him back for the T20 leg.
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The injury also comes at a delicate leadership moment. With ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer still recovering from his own setback, the management is wary of a temporary shift in captaincy, which could open the door for KL Rahul or Axar Patel in a stop-gap role.India have strengthened their squad ahead of the Guwahati Test, drafting in Nitish Kumar Reddy early and keeping Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal in the mix. The city, hosting its first-ever Test, is expected to offer turn and bounce on a red-soil surface — conditions where Gill’s right-handed batting would have been invaluable.
