Shubman Gill ruled out of 1st Test vs South Africa due to neck injury, confirms BCCI
In its new update, the BCCI said that Shubman Gill has been admitted to the hospital for medical examination and is currently kept under observation there, hence ruling him out for the remainder of the Test match.
India captain Shubman Gill will no longer feature in the ongoing first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens after suffering neck spasm during the Day 2 match.
Gill, 26, retired for four years due to injury and has not returned to the field since.
Ahead of the Day 3 match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued an update stating that Gill had been admitted to hospital for medical examination and is currently under observation there, thus ruling him out for the remainder of the Test match.
BCCI, in a statement, said, “Captain Shubman Gill suffered a neck injury on Day 2 of the ongoing Test against South Africa in Kolkata. He was taken to the hospital for examination after the end of the day’s match. He is currently under observation in the hospital. He will not take any further part in the Test match. He will continue to be monitored by the BCCI medical team.”
The incident occurred in the first session of Day 2, on the fifth ball of the 35th over, when Gill bowled South African off-spinner Simon Harmer beautifully at backward four. As the execution of the shot impressed onlookers, Gill immediately clutched his neck in visible discomfort as he tried to stand upright.
Indian team physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain intervened on Gill, who was holding the left side of his neck on the field. He left the field injured for four from just three balls as Gill appeared stiff and unable to move his neck freely.
He did not take the field for the rest of the day, with vice-captain Rishabh Pant as stand-in captain.
During the second session, new broadcast images showed that Gill’s neck problem was bothering him before play even started on the second day.
In the images, Gill was seen doing neck relaxation exercises in front of physiotherapists and coaches and grimacing while trying to move his neck.
After the Day 2 match ended, Gill was stretchered out of the stadium wearing a neck brace and taken to a private hospital, which is the medical partner for the ongoing match.
Gill was accompanied to the hospital by the Indian team doctor and a security liaison officer. His father Lakhwinder Gill, who was seen watching the match at Eden Gardens, is also with him.
Gill had previously suffered from neck erectile dysfunction ahead of India’s first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru in October 2024, which eventually ruled him out of the clash. The same issue had made him miss the second T20I against Sri Lanka at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in July 2024.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from IANS)
