Indian cricket’s young leader Shubman Gill, who was recently appointed captain of both the Test and ODI sides, is facing a long and unexpected layoff. The stylish 26-year-old batter suffered a neck injury on Day 2 of the India–South Africa Test at Eden Gardens, ruling him out of the ongoing second Test in Guwahati.
On Sunday, the BCCI also left him out of the ODI squad for the three-match series beginning November 30 in Ranchi. Now, if early reports are accurate, Gill may not feature for India again in 2025, marking a huge setback for the team’s long-term plans.
There were early hopes that Gill might regain fitness in time for the T20I series starting December 9 in Cuttack. But according to a fresh PTI report, the injury is more concerning than initially believed. The update suggests that Gill—who also serves as India’s T20I vice-captain—is now targeting a comeback only during the ODI series against New Zealand in January 2026.
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A BCCI source, speaking anonymously to PTI, confirmed, “The selectors expect Shubman Gill’s neck injury to heal and that he will return against New Zealand in January 2026.”
🚨 Shubman Gill is currently resting in Mumbai, He will go to BCCI Center of Excellence at Bengaluru in 1st or 2nd December. 🚨 @Sahil_Malhotra1 reports. pic.twitter.com/seHpfnJGJx
— Ahmed Says (@AhmedGT_) November 24, 2025
India’s tour against New Zealand in 2026 includes three ODIs and five T20Is. The ODI opener will be played on January 11 at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, followed by matches in Rajkot on January 14 and Indore on January 18. The five T20Is are scheduled for Nagpur, Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram between January 21 and 31.
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With Gill unavailable, Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to reclaim his spot in the T20I squad. Jaiswal, part of India’s T20 World Cup–winning squad in 2024, last played a T20I in July 2024 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. Gill had been preferred over him for the Asia Cup 2025 and was even named captain, but after an underwhelming batting performance and the current injury setback, Jaiswal’s return looks almost certain.
Gill’s prolonged absence comes at a crucial time for Indian cricket, making his eventual comeback in 2026 even more significant.
