Shubman Gill not to travel with team to Guwahati on Wednesday, doubtful for second Test

Indian skipper Shubman Gill is unlikely to feature in the second Test against South Africa, with Cricket Association of Bengal sources confirming that he is not travelling to Guwahati with the team on Wednesday.

The team will have an optional training session on Tuesday.

“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,” the source said.

“He has been advised three to four days of 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 added.

The Indian team is scheduled to travel to Guwahati on Wednesday for the second and final Test, starting Saturday.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir said at the post-match press conference that Gill was “still being assessed”, with another round of evaluations to be carried out by the physio and medical staff.

Gill’s absence in the fourth innings left India a batter short as they slumped to a 30-run defeat chasing 124.

If Gill is ruled out, India have options in B Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal.

Sudharsan, who scored 87 against West Indies in Delhi, managed a top score of 32 in four innings for India A recently against South Africa A.

Gill was taken to hospital after the second day of the Kolkata Test, having retired hurt on four after facing only three balls in India’s first innings.

On the morning of day three, BCCI confirmed he would take no further part in the match. He was discharged from hospital on Sunday evening.

Gill also missed a Test against New Zealand in October 2024 due to a neck spasm. His latest setback comes at a time when the team is closely monitoring his workload.

The India captain has played continuously across formats since IPL 2025 and was among four Test regulars who joined Team India two days after their last T20I in Brisbane.