Morkel Shares Recovery Update on Gill–Iyer; When Will They Return?

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel has shared an update on the recovery of captain Shubman Gill and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, confirming that both players are progressing well and awaiting their return to the team. Gill suffered a neck injury during the Kolkata Test against South Africa, while Iyer was ruled out of last month’s Australia tour due to a spleen injury.

Speaking about Gill, Morkel said he preferred that the medical team provide the official update, but he had spoken to Shubman two days ago and found him recovering well. “It was good to hear he’s doing better,” he added. On Shreyas Iyer, Morkel confirmed that he has started his rehabilitation, which is an encouraging sign. “He’s healthy and preparing for his return. We are waiting for both players to join the squad again.”

In the ODI squad for the South Africa series, Yashasvi Jaiswal is likely to get a chance in place of Gill. However, the No. 4 position remains uncertain, with Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma being strong contenders.

Morkel emphasised that shifting to the white-ball format will help the team reset after the Test series loss. “South Africa have momentum and confidence. For India, a strong start is crucial. The next one or two weeks will be important because they are here to win. We need to focus on our preparation over the next couple of days and move past what happened recently to play strong cricket.”

India had lost the Test series to South Africa 0–2. The team will now look to bounce back in the limited-overs contests. The two sides will play a three-match ODI series from November 30 to December 6, followed by a five-match T20 series.