Shubman Gill set to miss IND vs SA ODI series? Who will be India captain?
South Africa shockingly stunned the Indian team by 30 runs in the opening game of the two-match test series, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In this low-scoring match, after batting first, South Africa amassed just 159 runs in their first innings. In response, India didn’t play well and reached just 189 in the first innings. With this, India took a 30-run lead in the first innings. South African batting once again collapsed and scored 153 runs in the second innings.
On day 3, South Africa scored another sixty runs from 93/7 before losing their last three wickets. Skipper Temba Bavuma played an unbeaten 55-run knock. It seemed India would easily achieve the target, but in the second innings, the Indian batting lineup was dismantled, scoring just 93 runs.
In this match, the Indian team played most of the match with just 10 regular players due to regular test skipper Shubman Gill’s neck injury, which occurred in the Indian team’s first innings. This injury forced Shubman Gill to retire hurt during the innings and also ruled him out of the remainder of the match. In his absence, Rishabh Pant led the side.
On day 2 of the first test, Shubman Gill walked out in the middle to bat. After facing 2 balls, he dispatched a sweep shot for the boundary off Simon Harper. At this precise moment, he suffered from an immediate clutch on his neck. He seemed uncomfortable, so a physiotherapist came to evaluate him. He then returned to the pavilion and underwent the hospital's scans.
Medical reports suggest that he sustained a neck spasm. Gill is currently stable, and the medical and physio team will take a call on his participation for the second test. According to coach Gautam Gambhir, his suitability for the second test will be determined by the medical and physiotherapy team.
“Gill is still being assessed. So, let's see. The physios will take a call this evening, and we will take a call," Gambhir said.
If Shubman Gill is unable to play in the second test match on November 22 in Guwahati, Rishabh Pant would most likely be the team's captain. However, what if Shubman also missed the ODI series? Who will lead the ODI side in his absence? If Shubman's injury looks serious, he might miss the ODI series. Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer has already been ruled out of the series after his injury. Then, the Team management will have to find a new captain for the ODI series.
A couple of reports suggest that Rohit Sharma might captain India upcoming cricket series. He led the ODI side until the Champions Trophy 2025. After this, Shubman Gill was appointed captain by the team management. Well, Shubman Gill failed not only as captain but also as a batter in his very first assignment during the Australia tour. In the ODI series against Australia, India lost 1-2. Additionally, India has already lost the 1st test match against South Africa. Under Rohit Sharma's leadership, India won the T20 World Cup 2024 & Champions Trophy 2025. After Rohit Sharma’s removal from the captaincy, the management suffered a lot of criticism.
Apart from Rohit, KL Rahul might be another candidate for captaincy. He has also captained India in a couple of matches earlier. KL Rahul has captained the Indian ODI side in 12 matches. Under his captaincy, India has won 8 matches and lost 4 matches so far. However, in Gautam Gambhir's coaching era, it would be too early to say anything. The much-awaited 3-match ODI series between India and South Africa is set to start on November 30.
