Shubman Gill, the Indian opener, has been battling with dengue fever and has not traveled to Delhi with the rest of the squad. He suffered from a low platelet count and was admitted to a hospital in Chennai, where India played their first World Cup 2023 match against Australia on October 8.
India will next play Afghanistan in Delhi on October 11 and team management is likely to continue the waiting game when it comes to Shubman Gill and no replacement is being sought or even discussed at this stage.
Gill is considered to be a vital cog in the Indian team and they will wait for him to get match-fit.
“Shubman Gill will be given all the time to recover and regain match fitness. There is no thought of seeking or discussing replacements at this stage as the management considers him to be a vital cog in the set-up. Gill is already showing positive signs and is likely to make a return soon,” a senior BCCI official told News18 Cricket Next.
The official gave the example of Australia backing Travis Head who is recovering from a broken hand.
“Look at what Australia is doing with Travis Head. He is injured but they haven’t ruled him out or sought a replacement. Every chance right now is given to Head to make that return. India too is likely to follow a similar approach when it comes to Gill. He has been one of the most consistent performers in the last year or so,” added the official.
Meanwhile, India batting coach Vikram Rathour attended the pre-match presser in Delhi and gave an update about Shubman Gill. He confirmed that Gill has been discharged from the hospital and is now resting in the hotel in Chennai.
“He is recovering well. He was hospitalized, yes, but that was more as a precaution. He is back in the hotel; he is recovering well. So, being monitored by the medical team and whatever update we get, we are hoping that he will recover pretty soon. He is looking good actually. Hopefully, Gill will be back in the mix pretty soon,” says Rathour.
Gill missed the Australia clash and will not play against Afghanistan well. After this, India will play Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 14. But it seems that the 24-year-old might not feature in that encounter as well, as he recovers.
In Gill’s absence, Ishan Kishan is going to play the role of the opener and he’ll look to make up for his golden duck against Australia, which was also his World Cup debut.
“He has opened in the past and he has played as an opener. So, no specific discussion on that. He understands the moment. That was the reason he has been on the team. We knew that he can bat top of the order or in the middle order. So, he has done that before. So, no specific discussion on that. Just hoping that he comes good tomorrow,” Rathour said on Kishan.
(News 18 CricketNext inputs)
