Why Shubman Gill will miss upcoming Duleep Trophy opener
What's the story
Shubman Gill, the Indian cricket team's T20I vice-captain, is set to make a comeback after recovering from a viral flu. As per a report by The Times of India, Gill will be training at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru this week. It was earlier reported that Gill will miss the impending Duleep Trophy due to his illness.
Health status
Gill set to miss Duleep Trophy
Gill's blood report showed no major issues, indicating a smooth recovery from his viral flu, reported The Times of India. However, the 25-year-old will miss the Duleep Trophy opener. In his absence, Haryana's Ankit Kumar will lead North Zone against East Zone. The side includes several other stars in the form of Ayush Badoni, Harshit Rana, and Arshdeep Singh.
Training hub
Players maintaining their fitness at CoE
The CoE has been a beehive of activity for the past few weeks, with several contracted cricketers coming and going for their routine fitness assessments. This includes players from different Duleep Trophy squads as well as those who recently played five Tests against England. Among them are Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Sai Sudharsan who have been maintaining their fitness routines at the facility.
Recovery efforts
Updates on Siraj, Reddy, and Pandya
Mohammed Siraj, who has been on rest after the tough series against England, is also expected to head to Bengaluru soon. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is already at the CoE, recovering from an injury he sustained during the England Test series. The all-rounder is still some time away from regaining complete match fitness. Hardik Pandya recently underwent an assessment at the CoE and is now training in Baroda ahead of next month's Asia Cup in UAE.
Rehab progress
Update on Pant's recovery
Rishabh Pant, who has been recovering from an injury, has had his plaster removed. He is also expected to begin his rehabilitation at the CoE. Pant was not picked in India's 15-member squad for the Asia Cup. The wicketkeeper-batter, who suffered a fractured foot on the opening day of the fourth Test against England, was forced to return home. He missed the fifth Test as well.
Asia Cup
India's campaign begins on September 10
The 2025 Asia Cup will be held from September 9 to 28 in the UAE, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi hosting matches. India have been drawn with Pakistan in Group A and could meet their arch-rivals thrice during the tournament. They will start their campaign against hosts UAE on September 10 before facing Pakistan (September 14) and Oman (September 19).