India’s captain Shubman Gill, leaves the field after retired hurt on the second day of the first cricket test match between India and South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
| Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak
India captain Shubman Gill will travel with the team to Guwahati ahead of the second Test starting on November 22.
Gill suffered a neck injury on day two of the Kolkata Test against South Africa and was taken to the hospital for examination after the end of the day’s play. He was kept under observation and discharged the next day. The BCCI, in a statement, said, “Shubman has been responding well to the medical treatment provided and will travel to Guwahati with the team on November 19, 2025.”
However, as The Hindu reported on Tuesday (November 18, 2025), Gill remains a doubtful starter for the second Test, and a decision on his availability is yet to be taken. “He will continue to be monitored by the BCCI medical team and a decision on his participation in the 2nd Test will be taken accordingly,” the statement added.
The skipper faced just three balls in India’s first innings before he retired hurt. Off the third ball he faced, Gill swept Simon Harmer for a boundary over square-leg but grimaced in pain as he completed his shot.
Last year, too, Gill missed the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru due to a neck injury.
In case Gill is unavailable, it will be interesting to see if the team management opts to replace him with the all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has rejoined the squad or go with one of the two specialist left-handed batters in B. Sai Sudharsan or Devdutt Padikkal.
Published – November 19, 2025 01:16 pm IST
