GUWAHATI: Shubman Gill has travelled to Guwahati with the rest of the India squad for the second Test against South Africa, but the neck injury that is still healing is unlikely to fully recover before the match begins here on Saturday.
Despite this, it is understood that the skipper is desperate to play and will try his best to prove his fitness during training sessions on Thursday and Friday.
The squad has now landed in the city. If sources in the Indian team are to be believed, the 26-year-old Gill is far from being 100 per cent fit, with pain in the nape of his neck still lingering even though the intensity has reduced considerably.
“Shubman has been responding well to the medical treatment provided and will travel to Guwahati with the team on 19th November, 2025,” read a statement from BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
“He will continue to be monitored by the BCCI medical team and a decision on his participation in the 2nd Test will be taken accordingly,” he added, keeping the suspense over the batting star’s availability.
While he might be clinically fit, the rigours of a five-day Test could aggravate the issue and result in a longer lay-off.
With the series on the line and off-spinner Simon Harmer posing a significant threat after the Kolkata Test, a competent right-hander who can take on spin is a necessity.
However, the current coaching staff and selection committee allegedly do not have much faith in the likes of Sarfaraz Khan, Karun Nair or Abhimanyu Easwaran, even though all three players handle spin well.
Their reasoning is simple: even though both Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal are left-handers, bringing in someone from outside would signal a massive lack of trust in the youngsters’ ability to handle pressure.
However, Sudharsan has looked far from convincing, and there is a school of thought that Dhruv Jurel, with his tighter technique, might be a better fit at No. 3.
In this backdrop, Gill, known to train even on optional days, might simply want to be fit enough to bat, as even a half-fit skipper is seen as more effective than Sudharsan, Easwaran or Sarfaraz.
Also, as a new captain still earning his stripes in the dressing room, missing a Test at this early stage of his leadership is the last thing he would want.
A tricky call Gill needs at least 10 days to fully recover and then complete his rehabilitation to be match-ready.
But if he plays the Test match, the logical step for selectors would be to rest him from the ODI series starting on 30 November in Ranchi.
With little at stake in the ODI series, he could easily take a break and return for the T20s against South Africa.
However, with his ODI deputy Shreyas Iyer far from fit after his on-field injury, the last thing Gill wants is a third captaincy contender in KL Rahul or Axar Patel, even if it is only in a stop-gap role.
One thing is certain: Gill allegedly cannot realistically play the second Test, three ODIs and five T20Is in the next four weeks, along with all the air miles involved.
It could easily backfire, and looking at the bigger picture, the emerging leader would need a break for his own and the team’s greater good.