India's skipper Shubman Gill is facing a race against time to be fit for the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, with a PTI report indicating that he will not join the squad on Wednesday. The 25-year-old injured his neck during Day 2 of the Kolkata Test and has since been under strict medical supervision.
Gill, who has been on an intense playing schedule in recent months, appeared to be feeling the effects of the heavy workload. The issue flared up when he was struck on the neck while batting, forcing him to retire hurt after just three balls in the first innings. He was later taken to a Kolkata hospital for precautionary tests and was seen leaving with a cervical collar, sparking concerns about his availability.
According to a Cricket
Association of Bengal official, the medical team has instructed Gill to rest completely for three days and avoid air travel. "He has acute neck pain and has been advised to continue wearing the collar. At this point, flying to Guwahati is not recommended," the official said. The support staff, however, will continue to evaluate him daily, with a final call expected by Tuesday.
India are scheduled to fly to Guwahati on Wednesday, ahead of the series finale beginning November 22. Gill's condition remains under assessment, with head coach Gautam Gambhir confirming that the physios and medical team will run another set of tests before making a decision.
His absence was felt sharply in the fourth innings at Eden Gardens, where India fell short by 30 runs while chasing 124. With the captain unavailable to bat, India were effectively one batter down during a tense finish.
If Gill is ruled out, India may be forced to tweak their top order. Left-handers B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal are being viewed as the most likely replacements. Sudharsan impressed earlier this year with an 87 against the West Indies but had a modest outing for India A against South Africa A, while Padikkal has been in steady domestic form.
India will hope their captain recovers swiftly, but as things stand, his participation in the decisive second Test looks increasingly uncertain.
