Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 25 (IANS) India captain Shubman Gill has suffered a major injury scare on Friday after being struck on the right elbow by a rearing delivery from pacer Mohammed Siraj during a nets session ahead of the opening ODI against the West Indies, to be played on Sunday.
The incident occurred two days before the series opener at the Greenfield International Stadium when a length ball from Siraj climbed sharply and hit Gill flush on his elbow. The Indian skipper immediately dropped his bat and walked away writhing in pain, requiring medical attention from the team physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain for nearly 20 minutes.
A concerned Siraj and veteran batter Virat Kohli, who was batting in an adjacent net, rushed to check on Gill. Gill appeared in considerable discomfort as he sat on the sidelines while the support staff strapped his arm.
Though he spent the remainder of the evening recovering and did not return to bat, Gill was later seen sharing a light moment with young pacer Gurnoor Brar. With the first ODI to be played on Sunday, the Indian team management will keep a close eye on Gill’s recovery. Notably, Gill had faced a similar fitness concern last month in Sri Lanka when he was struck on his ring finger during practice, though he recovered in time to play the full series, as India won 1-0.
Before the blow to his elbow, Gill looked in fine touch while batting alongside Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Rohit and Kohli both logged extensive 20-minute sessions in the nets, facing a mix of national squad bowlers and local net options.
The injury scare comes at a time when the Indian team is already dealing with a spate of fitness issues, with key players like seam-bowling all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana remaining on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, the visiting West Indies side is yet to hold a training session despite arriving in the city on September 23. The team is expected to hit the nets on Saturday, on the eve of the match.
The visitors enter the series amidst off-field financial developments back home, where Cricket West Indies (CWI) recently announced a 25 percent pay cut in player retainer fees and suspended this year’s men’s Super50 tournament due to rising operational costs.
–IANS
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