Vice-captain Shubman Gill’s fitness and availability for India’s upcoming T20I series against South Africa is no longer in doubt. The 26-year-old is at BCCI's Centre of Excellence as he continues his rehabilitation. Gill suffered a neck injury in the Eden Gardens Test and has been out of action since.
Gill did not play in the subsequent drubbing at Guwahati and has also missed out on the IND vs SA ODI series. A return for the t20I series was mooted, but that will depend on his fitness. The 26-year-old flew to 4 different cities in the space of 8 day. He has since returned to batting in the nets and has been pain-free.
As per ESPN Cricinfo, Gill has suffered a pinched nerve in his neck which is causing a delay in his return to action. What was earlier believed to be 10 days of rest has now been prescribed as 5 weeks, putting his participation for the t20I series in doubt. However, Gill is known to have had long sessions in the nets and there is no doubt on his availability for the games. As a precautionary measure, he could miss the series opener.
If Gill is unable to feature, either Sanju Samson or Yashasvi Jaiswal could be a potential opening partner for the in-form Abhishek Sharma. Samson was part of the T20I series win in Australia, but featured in only two matches and batted just once at No. 3, while Jaiswal was not part of the squad.
India’s five-match T20I series against Aiden Markram-led South Africa will begin in Cuttack on December 9, and is followed by subsequent games in New Chandigarh (December 11), Dharamsala (December 14), Lucknow (December 17), and Ahmedabad (December 19).
