Gill's neck spasm sparks worry: India captain's participation in doubt, BCCI updates

Kolkata (The Uttam Hindu) : Indian captain Shubman Gill experienced neck spasms during the ongoing first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens, forcing him to return from batting. Gill is currently under the supervision of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team. A decision on the captain's participation in the match will be made based on further evaluation.

Shubman Gill came in to bat at number four in India's first innings. He hit a four off the third ball, but then felt some neck discomfort. Ultimately, Gill had to retire hurt. Shubman Gill had been experiencing neck discomfort even before the start of play on the second day.

India lost their ninth wicket at 189, but Gill did not come out to bat again. The BCCI said in an official update on Saturday, "Shubman Gill has a neck spasm. The BCCI medical team is monitoring him. A decision on Gill's participation on Saturday will be taken based on his recovery." Previously, Gill suffered from neck stiffness before a Test match against New Zealand in Bengaluru in October 2024, which eventually led to his withdrawal from the match.

The South African team, who won the toss and came to bat, scored only 159 runs in the first innings. Aiden Markram scored the highest 31 runs for the visiting team, while Jasprit Bumrah took 5 wickets. In reply, the Indian team could only score 189 runs in the first innings. With this, India gained a slight lead of 30 runs on the basis of the first innings. KL Rahul scored 39 runs for the host team, while Washington Sundar added 29 runs to the team's account. Simon Harmer took 4 wickets for the opposition team, while Marco Jansen took 3 wickets.