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Gill officially out of 2nd SA Test, Pant to lead

Sports

India's captain Shubman Gill has been officially ruled out of the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati, starting on November 22. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a statement confirming the development. Gill suffered a neck injury during India's first Test match against South Africa, which was played in Kolkata. While Gill is the captain, Rishabh Pant will be leading the team in the second Test due to Gill's injury.

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Gill's injury and hospital visit

Gill sustained the neck injury on Day 2 of the Kolkata Test. He was taken to a hospital for examination after the day's play. The BCCI statement clarified that he was kept under observation and discharged the next day. However, he wasn't fit enough to play in the second Test match and will now travel to Mumbai for further assessment of his injury.

Rishabh Pant to lead India in Gill's absence

With Gill out due to injury, vice-captain Rishabh Pant will take over as the captain of Team India for the second Test match. This will be his maiden Test match as captain. The leadership change comes after India's defeat in the first Test by 30 runs. Gill had retired hurt after facing just three balls in India's first innings and was ruled out for the remainder of the match on Day 3 morning.

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India's selection dilemma in Gill's absence

With Gill's injury, India faces a selection dilemma. The team is already heavy with left-hand batters, and both Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal are left-handed. The batting coach Sitanshu Kotak emphasized that they won't compromise on Gill's long-term fitness. He said the decision to play or rest him will be taken after consulting physios and doctors about his recovery status.

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Here is BCCI's post! 

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