In a setback for India’s Test campaign, captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the decisive second match against South Africa due to a lingering neck injury, forcing wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant to take the helm.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had issued a cautious update just a day earlier, indicating that Gill’s participation in the Guwahati fixture would be evaluated soon. However, reports soon confirmed his exclusion from the series finale. The injury occurred during the opening Test in Kolkata, where Gill, on the third delivery he faced in India’s first innings, executed a sweep for four but clutched his neck in evident discomfort. He retired hurt on the spot and played no further role in the innings, also sitting out the hosts’ pursuit of 124 after undergoing precautionary scans at a local hospital. Discharged the next day, Gill has made steady progress, but team medical staff have deemed him unfit for the upcoming encounter.
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As per the BCCI’s statement, “Shubman has been responding well to the medical treatment provided and will travel to Guwahati with the team on 19th November, 2025.”
The second Test gets underway on Saturday, with Pant, the vice-captain, poised to guide the side. Left-handed opener Sai Sudharsan is expected to step in for Gill in the lineup, according to a report in The Indian Express.
Gill joined his teammates in Guwahati on Wednesday, arriving at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport without visible neck bracing—a positive indicator of his rehabilitation (PTI photo). He is slated to commence targeted neck exercises starting Thursday, with full recovery projected in roughly a week, potentially aligning with India’s ODI series opener on November 30.
India faces mounting pressure, down 0-1 after South Africa’s 30-run victory in the opener. Preparations kicked off with an optional net session at Eden Gardens on Tuesday, featuring Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja, and Devdutt Padikkal.
Adding a novel twist to the format, the Guwahati Test marks a Test cricket milestone: all five days commence at 9 a.m., with the tea interval preceding lunch in a reversal of convention.
With Pant’s tactical acumen under the spotlight, India must rally swiftly to square the two-match series and salvage pride on home soil.
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