Shubman Gill will not play the second Test against South Africa as he has a neck injury. India will now play under the leadership of Rishabh Pant. The news came less than a day after the cricket board shared a mixed update about Gill’s health and said that a final call on his place would be made later.
The injury happened during the first Test in Kolkata. Gill played a sweep shot for four on the third ball he faced in the first innings. Soon after the shot, he held his neck and showed clear pain. He left the field and did not return to bat again. He also missed India’s chase of 124 because he had to go to a hospital in Kolkata for scans. He came back home the next day and felt a little better, but the doctors still did not clear him to play the next match in Guwahati.
The medical staff said Gill has responded well to treatment. He travelled with the team to Guwahati on 19 November 2025. The second Test starts on Saturday. Since Gill is out, vice captain and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant will take charge of the team. Reports also say that left handed top order batter Sai Sudharsan will come into the playing eleven in place of Gill. Pant had already led the team during parts of the Kolkata Test.
Gill flew to Guwahati with the rest of the squad on Wednesday. He walked through the airport without any neck support. He is expected to start his neck exercises on Thursday. Doctors think he may need around one week to recover. This means he might return during the ODI series that begins on 30 November.
India go into the second Test under pressure. They are behind in the series after losing the first match by 30 runs. On Tuesday, the team had an optional training session at Eden Gardens. Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja and Devdutt Padikkal joined the session as the team prepared for an important match.
This Test in Guwahati will also be special. For the first time in Test cricket, each day will start at 9 a.m. The tea break will be taken before lunch, which is a new order for the game.
Pant’s leadership and India’s strength to come together without their regular captain will play a big part in their effort to level the two match series.
