India captain Shubman Gill, who suffered a neck spasm in the first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, won’t be participating in the second match of the two-game series as he was released from the squad on the eve of the contest. The 26-year-old had travelled to Guwahati earlier this week in a bid to prove his fitness; however, Gill has now travelled to Mumbai to gain some much-needed rest. With Gill being ruled out, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will lead the hosts in the all-important Test, where India need to come up with a victory to level the two-match series.
According to the official update provided by the BCCI on Friday afternoon, Gill will now be heading to Mumbai for further assessment of his injury.
“Gill suffered a neck injury on Day 2 of the Kolkata Test and was taken to the hospital for examination after the end of the day’s play. He was kept under observation and discharged the next day. He travelled to Guwahati on 19th November, 2025,” the BCCI said in an official statement.
“Unfortunately, he was not fully fit to feature in the 2nd Test and will head to Mumbai for further assessment of his injury,” the statement added.
On the eve of the second Test, India’s stand-in captain Pant also addressed the media, and it was there that he said that Gill really wanted to play the Test match, but in the end, it was a case of prioritising his body.
“He is doing fine. He is getting better. Shubman was keen to play the match, even though his body didn’t allow it. He has that resilience even when his body was not permitting. He wanted to push it for the team. He did lead from the front,” Pant told reporters.
“We are going to announce the XI tomorrow. Mostly, we have taken the call on who will replace Gill,” he added.
In the series opener against the Proteas, Gill faced just three balls in the first innings. After playing a sweep shot off the bowling of Simon Harmer, the right-hander clutched onto the back of his neck, and the physio came running out.
