IND vs SA: Shubman Gill ruled out of the final T20I match against South Africa?
The Indian team suffered a major setback ahead of the fifth and series-deciding T20I match of the ongoing five-match series between India and South Africa. The final match of this series is scheduled for December 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, before this match, Team India faced a significant blow as T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill was ruled out due to a toe injury. He sustained this injury during a training session just before the fourth match, which also led to his absence from that game. The fourth T20I was cancelled due to heavy fog.
According to reports, Gill was injured during practice, and all precautionary measures are currently being taken to ensure his swift recovery.
"Shubman had an extended batting session at the nets on the eve of the fourth T20 International. Towards the end, he was hit on the toe while batting. He was in pain and hobbling. It would have been difficult for him to play on Wednesday. Therefore, he didn't accompany the team, as there was little chance of him playing this game. At this point, it is difficult to say if he will play in Ahmedabad," a BCCI source said.
This is not the first recent injury for him. Last month, during the first Test against South Africa, he sustained a neck injury that caused him to miss the remaining Test matches and the subsequent three-match ODI series. He is currently the full-time Test and ODI captain. Rishabh Pant was leading the Test side, and KL Rahul was captaining the ODI side following Gill’s injury.
Before the T20I series, the Centre of Excellence (COE) declared him fit, despite criticism that he should be on the team instead of Sanju Samson, who had scored three centuries in the previous couple of T20I series.
Gill's performances in the series have been disappointing, scoring 4 and 0 in the first two games. He managed a run-a-ball 28 in the third T20I in Dharamsala, but appeared out of form. Nevertheless, Gautam Gambhir and the coaching staff are confident that their star batter will perform well at the T20 World Cup, scheduled for February 2026. Well, instead of Gill, Sanju Samson is expected to feature in the upcoming cricket matches of this ongoing T20I series.
The Indian team’s next assignment will be against New Zealand in January 2026. New Zealand will visit India for a three-match ODI series and a five-match T20I series. Ahead of this series, Shubman Gill was determined to regain match fitness at all costs.
