Shubman Gill Likely to Train in Ahmedabad Today

Shubman Gill is likely to be back in the park today and have what could well be his first training session in over a week. He has been away from action since Team India’s first training session in Chennai on October 5.

“Gill took the evening flight from Chennai yesterday and reached Ahmedabad last night. He is now likely to hit the ground today and we will then see how the body reacts to physical activity. There is going to be no rush, one step at a time,” a source close to developments tells CricketNext.

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While the rest of his teammates were in Delhi last night for the 2023 World Cup fixture against Afghanistan, Gill took the flight from Chennai to Ahmedabad. The opener stayed back in the city to continue with his recovery and treatment for dengue. He had to spend a night in the hospital after his platelet count dropped below 1,00,000 but was back in the hotel room after the precautionary measure and is now showing improvement and getting better each day.

India next play Pakistan in a high-profile fixture at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14 and Gill’s other teammates will fly from Delhi on Thursday. As far as the right-hander is concerned, it remains difficult to put a date on his return yet as everything would depend on how his body reacts after the training session.

The Indian team management will continue playing the waiting game. As of now, and as CricketNext reported earlier this week, there is no discussion or thought of a replacement or standby yet.

“Shubman Gill will be given all the time to recover and regain match fitness. There is no thought of seeking or discussing replacements at this stage as the management considers him to be a vital cog in the set-up. Gill is already showing positive signs and is likely to make a return soon,” a senior BCCI official had told News18 CricketNext.

In Gill’s absence, Ishan Kishan opened the innings for India against Australia and Afghanistan. The outing in Chennai wasn’t an ideal one because the left-hander was dismissed for a golden duck. He, however, was back amongst the runs vs Afghanistan in Delhi, scoring a patient run-a-ball 47. Rohit was going all guns blazing from the other end and Ishan played the perfect partner to help India get off to a brilliant start.

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India batting coach Vikram Rathour wanted Ishan to do well vs Afghanistan. He did. Rathour explained why Ishan remains the preferred choice to open in Gill’s absence.

“He has opened in the past and he has played as an opener. So, no specific discussion on that. He understands the moment. That was the reason he has been in the team. We knew that he could bat top of the order or in the middle order. So, he has done that before. So, no specific discussion on that. Just hoping that he comes good tomorrow,” Rathour had said on Kishan on the eve of the match.