Shubman Gill set for comeback in T20Is against South Africa
What's the story
Indian cricket star Shubman Gill has arrived in Bhubaneswar, gearing up for his return to international cricket. The vice-captain of the T20I team had missed two Tests and three ODIs due to a neck injury. As per Cricbuzz, the T20I team vice-captain reached the state capital around 9pm IST on Sunday after a long journey. The 1st match of the series is set to be held in Cuttack. Here's more.
Fitness update
Gill's fitness cleared for T20I series
Gill was initially a conditional selection for the five-match T20I series starting in Cuttack on December 9. However, it was confirmed that he has fully recovered from his injury. He was recently declared fit by the BCCI medical team after spending some time at their Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, where he practiced batting and fielding.
Confirmation
Gill's readiness confirmed by India coach
Gautam Gambhir confirmed Gill's fitness and readiness for international action. "Yes, Shubman is ready to start. That's why he has been selected. He is fit, fine, and hungry to go," Gambhir said after the third ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday night. This statement further solidifies Gill's position as a key player in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa.
Team arrival
Other players arrive in Bhubaneswar for T20I series
Most of the players from both India and South Africa have already reached Bhubaneswar for the match. They took a chartered flight from Visakhapatnam on Sunday morning. However, Gill arrived later as he wasn't part of the ODI squad. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya was spotted at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, where he practiced behind closed doors on Sunday evening, the report in Cricbuzz added.
Injury
Kolkata Test: Shubman Gill retired hurt with injury
On November 15, Gill retired hurt during the first Test match against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The incident occurred on Day 2 of the match when Gill suffered a neck strain while batting. He had just come to bat after Washington Sundar's dismissal in the 35th over and looked comfortable initially. However, things took a turn for the worse after he played a well-timed sweep shot off Simon Harmer's bowling. Gill didn't play any further role thereafter.
Information
Gill missed the South Africa ODI series
After missing the Tests, Gill was ruled out of the three-match ODI series against South Africa. In his absence, KL Rahul was selected as the stand-in captain. Besides Gill, India were also without Shreyas Iyer for the ODI series.