BCCI Update: Shubman Gill Out of First Test vs South Africa Due to Neck Injury
On November 16, the BCCI shared an update on captain Shubman Gill’s neck injury. He had to leave the field on Day 2 after feeling pain and was carried off on a stretcher at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Gill was taken to the hospital and will not be playing for the rest of the first Test against South Africa.
BCCI Confirms Shubman Gill Out of First Test Due to Neck Injury
“Captain Shubman Gill had 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 day's play,” BCCI said.
“He is currently under observation in the hospital. He will take no further part in the Test match. He will continue to be monitored by the BCCI medical team,” BCCI added.
Shubman Gill left the field after scoring only four runs from three balls. He felt some discomfort after hitting a boundary off Simon Harmer. Speaking at the post-Day 2 press conference, India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel said that Gill’s injury wasn’t due to workload from playing too many formats.
Injury Not Due to Workload, Says Morkel
He explained that it happened simply because Gill had a rough night’s sleep. “Gill is a very fit guy, he looks after himself very well, so it’s just unfortunate this morning that he woke up with a stiff neck and that carried him into the day, which was crucial for us,” said Morkel.
“Another sort of partnership with him batting around was going to be needed for us at the time and... just bad timing,” he added.
Gill's absence is a huge blow for India considering tough batting conditions in Kolkata. Whatever target South Africa set for the hosts, it will be tricky to chase down as India won't have Gill's services. This has sparked the ongoing debate about allowing injury replacements in international cricket.
In domestic cricket, this rule already exists. There, if a player gets injured, they can be replaced and are allowed to bat and bowl, not just field as a substitute.
