• Shubman Gill will reportedly miss the ODI series against South Africa as his neck injury needs more time to heal
• A PTI report says Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are likely being considered for stand-in captaincy, with Jasprit Bumrah set to be rested
• Yashasvi Jaiswal is likely to open with Rohit Sharma
Skipper Shubman Gill will reportedly miss the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa as his neck injury is expected to take longer to heal.
According to a PTI report, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are being considered for stop-gap captaincy, even though Rohit Sharma is part of the squad. Gill’s whiplash injury, suffered while batting in the opening Test in Kolkata, kept him out of the Guwahati Test and is understood to be more serious than a basic neck spasm.
The Indian team management is keen to avoid rushing him back and wants him to undergo full recovery before returning to action.
Gill is currently in Mumbai undergoing multiple medical examinations, including an MRI, to determine the extent of the damage.
"All tests are being done to ascertain whether it is a muscular injury or there is a nerve tissue related niggle which would require some more rest. As of now, selectors will be hoping he gets fit for the South Africa T20Is," the report quoted a BCCI source as saying.
On the captaincy front, Pant is a strong candidate as he is already leading India in the ongoing second Test, though he has played only one ODI in the past year. Rahul, India’s preferred wicketkeeper in the 50-over format, is seen as a more stable option for a short series.
Deputy Shreyas Iyer is still recovering from his spleen injury sustained in Australia and is expected to return only before the IPL.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is likely to open with Rohit Sharma, while Abhishek Sharma, regularly featuring in India A’s List A games, could be the reserve opener for the series starting November 30 in Ranchi.
The pace attack is expected to include Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, with Akash Deep being an outside contender.
Jasprit Bumrah will be rested after consecutive Test assignments, and Hardik Pandya, recovering from a quadriceps injury, will feature only in T20Is until next year’s World Cup.
Kuldeep Yadav may take a break for personal reasons, leaving the spin department to Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy and Washington Sundar.
