Massive blow for India! Shubman Gill ruled out of 2nd Test vs South Africa, Rishabh Pant set to lead

India’s Test captain Shubman Gill has been sidelined for the second Test against South Africa, which begins in Guwahati on Saturday. In his absence, Rishabh Pant will take the helm, while left-handed batsman Sai Sudharsan is expected to replace Gill in the starting 11.

Gill suffered a neck injury while batting in the first innings of the first Test in Kolkata, which prevented him from fielding in South Africa’s second innings and batting in India’s second innings as they chased down a target of 124 runs for victory.

After the second day’s play, the right-hander was admitted to a hospital in Kolkata and discharged the next day. The 26-year-old will accompany the team to Guwahati, where he will be kept under the observation of the BCCI’s medical team, BCCI said in a press release on Wednesday.

“Team India captain Shubman Gill suffered a neck injury on Day 2 of the Kolkata Test against South Africa and was taken to hospital for examination after the end of the day’s match. He was kept under observation and discharged the next day. Shubman responded well to the medical treatment provided and will leave for Guwahati with the team on 19 November 2025,” the statement said.

Gill will need at least 10 days to fully recover and then rehab to be match-ready, news agency PTI reported. The selectors would be wise to rest him for the ODI series, which begins on November 30 in Ranchi. Given there is little at stake in the series, he could afford to take a break and return to the T20 matches against South Africa.

In his place, 24-year-old senior batsman Sai Sudharsan will join the XI. Sudharsan made his Test debut in England in June and has played five Tests to date, amassing 273 runs at an average of 30.33. He played his last match against the West Indies at home in October and scored 39 and 87. Although he was included in the squad for the South Africa series, he did not participate in the first Test.

The home team find themselves in a must-win situation heading into the second Test following South Africa’s 30-run victory in the series opener. The team held an optional training session at Eden Gardens on Tuesday, in which Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja and Devdutt Padikkal participated.

For the first time in the history of Test cricket, all five days of the Guwahati Test will start at 9 am and the tea break will take place before the lunch break.

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