Delhi: India suffered a major setback ahead of the second Test against South Africa as captain Shubman Gill has been officially ruled out of the series decider in Guwahati due to a neck injury. Just a day earlier, the BCCI had noted that a final call on his availability would be taken after further medical assessment, but fresh reports now confirm Gill will miss the crucial match.
Gill injured his neck during the opening Test in Kolkata after sweeping his third ball to the boundary. He immediately clutched his neck in visible discomfort, retired hurt shortly after, and did not bat again in the match. He was later taken for precautionary scans and missed India’s modest chase of 124. Though discharged and improving, doctors have advised complete rest, ruling him out of the second Test.
The BCCI had earlier stated:
“Shubman has been responding well to the medical treatment provided and will travel to Guwahati with the team on 19th November, 2025.”
Despite the injury, Gill travelled with the squad to Guwahati on Wednesday and was spotted at the airport without neck support. He is expected to begin light neck-strengthening exercises from Thursday, with a recovery timeline of about a week. He is likely to return for the ODI series beginning on November 30.
Pant to Captain; Sai Sudharsan in Line for Test Debut
With Gill unavailable, vice-captain Rishabh Pant will take over as India’s skipper for the must-win fixture. Pant had stepped in as acting captain during Gill’s absence in the Kolkata Test as well.
Left-handed top-order batter Sai Sudharsan is now the frontrunner to replace Gill in the XI, according to The Indian Express. India also held an optional training session at Eden Gardens on Tuesday, attended by Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja, and Devdutt Padikkal.
India Face Must-Win Scenario
Trailing 0–1 in the two-match Test series after a 30-run defeat in Kolkata, India must win the Guwahati Test to draw the series. The match begins on Saturday.
In a first-of-its-kind move in Test cricket, all five days of the Guwahati Test will start at 9:00 a.m., with the tea break scheduled before lunch, marking a historic reversal of the traditional session order.
