Gill's big blow: Indian captain rulers out of second test against South Africa due to injury

Guwahati (The Uttam Hindu) : Indian captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the Test series against South Africa. Gill will not play in the second Test. Rishabh Pant will replace him in the second Test, which begins on Saturday.

Shubman Gill was injured while batting in the first innings of the first Test match played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After hitting a four off the third ball of his innings, Gill experienced neck discomfort and retired hurt. Gill was unable to return to bat again.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced Gill's exclusion from the second Test on the social media platform 'X', writing, "Team India captain Shubman Gill, who suffered a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa, has been ruled out of the second Test in Guwahati. In his absence, Rishabh Pant will captain the team in the second Test."

"Shubman was desperate to play the match. He showed courage even when his body wasn't supporting him. We have decided who will replace Shubman in the playing XI. The player who will play the match knows he is playing," Pant said at the pre-match press conference on Friday.

It is believed that captain Shubman Gill may be granted leave from the team so that he can consult with a specialist in Mumbai for further recovery. In such a situation, Gill may also be ruled out of the ODI series against South Africa, which begins on November 30. In the first Test of the series played in Kolkata, South Africa could only score 159 runs in the first innings. In response, Team India scored 189 runs and took a 30-run lead.

South Africa scored 153 runs in the second innings, setting India a comfortable target of 124 runs to win, but the hosts collapsed for just 93 runs in the second innings. South Africa won the match by 30 runs.