Shubman Gill sustained acute neck injury during first Test
India captain missed good chunk of opener, and could well miss whole of second match
Indian team has an optional training session on November 18 before travelling to Guwahati
Indian skipper Shubman Gill is likely to miss the second Test against South Africa. Cricket Association of Bengal sources have reportedly confirmed that he is not travelling to Guwahati with the team on Wednesday (19 November 2025), having sustained an acute neck injury during the series opener.
Medical Advice And Travel Restrictions
A PTI report quoted a source as saying, "He has acute neck pain, and we're not allowed to further go to details about the injury. He has to keep continuing wearing the neck collar."
Doctors recommended three to four days of rest, advising him against flying, the report added. "He has been advised three-four days rest and not to take flight. In this situation, he is not advised to travel to Guwahati. But we are monitoring his progress on a daily basis and the picture will be clearer by Tuesday," the sources stated.
The Indian team has an optional training session on Tuesday before travelling to Guwahati on Wednesday for the second and final Test, which begins Saturday.
Match Impact And Player Options
Head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed Gill's condition, stating at the post-match press conference that he was "still being assessed". The physio and medical staff will conduct further evaluations. Gill's absence in the fourth innings meant India were a batter short as the team slumped to a 30-run defeat while chasing 124 runs.
Should Gill be unavailable, India have options in young batters B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal. Sudharsan, who scored 87 against West Indies in Delhi, secured a top score of 32 in four innings for India A during their recent series against South Africa A.
Prior Injury And Workload Management
Gill was taken to hospital after the second day of the Kolkata Test, having retired hurt on four runs after facing only three balls in India's first innings.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed his exclusion from the rest of the match on the morning of day three. He was discharged from hospital on Sunday evening.
Gill previously missed a Test against New Zealand in October 2024, also due to a neck spasm. His latest setback comes as the team closely monitors his workload. The India captain has played continuously across formats since Indian Premier League 2025 and was among four Test regulars who joined Team India two days after their last T20I in Brisbane.
(With PTI inputs)
