Sports News | Shubman Gill Dicharged from Hospital After Neck Injury; Doubtful for Guwahati Test | LatestLY

India's Test captain Shubman Gill has been discharged from a Kolkata hospital after receiving treatment for a neck spasm sustained during the first Test against South Africa. Despite his release, there remains uncertainty around his participation in the second Test scheduled in Guwahati starting this Saturday. Gill is not expected to join the team's training session in Kolkata, and medical advice has discouraged him from taking commercial flights, making it unlikely he will travel with the squad to Guwahati. Head coach Gautam Gambhir shared that Gill is still under evaluation, with the team physio set to conduct further assessments shortly. Gill’s absence was keenly felt in the fourth innings of the Kolkata Test, where India found themselves a batsman short and ultimately lost the match by 30 runs. Gambhir remarked on the challenge of being one player down and highlighted how crucial partnerships could have altered the game's outcome. Should Gill be ruled out for the Guwahati Test, India may consider left-handed batsmen B Sai Sudharsan or Devdutt Padikkal as his replacements. Sudharsan impressed recently with scores of 87 and 39 against West Indies in Delhi but has had modest returns against South Africa A. Padikkal, with limited Test experience, has struggled to make significant contributions recently. If the team opts for this single change, the playing XI could feature seven left-handed batsmen, following a trend observed in the Kolkata Test where six left-handers played. South African spinner Simon Harmer capitalized on this by dismissing six left-handers during that match. Gill’s neck issue first emerged during the Kolkata Test when he retired hurt after facing just three balls in the first innings and was promptly taken to hospital on Day 2. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Day 3 that he would not participate further in the ongoing Test. This is not Gill’s first neck spasm; he faced a similar issue in October 2024 against New Zealand, which sidelined him then as well. The timing of this injury is particularly concerning as Gill’s workload has been closely monitored. Since IPL 2025, he has been playing continuously across all formats and was among the few Test players who traveled directly from Australia after a T20I series. This continuous play schedule could be contributing to his current physical strain. The team management now faces a critical decision balancing Gill’s health with team composition and performance in the upcoming Test match.