India’s opening batsman Shubman Gill has sustained a shin injury that has become serious and this could keep him out of the game for at least two months, a BCCI source has said to PTI on Thursday. Meanwhile, it was earlier reported that Gill is unlikely to feature in the upcoming five-match Test series against England which is all set to start in Nottingham from August 4.
“Shubman has sustained a shin stress fracture, which will keep him out of action for minimum two months, which effectively rules him out of the first three Tests against England in August,” the source said on conditions of anonymity. “It will be a race against time to get him fit for the final two Test matches in September after completing rehabilitation,” he further added.
It is also understood that his shin injury got aggravated during his appearance in the recently-concluded World Test Championship (WTC) final against New Zealand in Southampton where India lost by 8 wickets as well. “Stress fractures in shin are not very threatening but time consuming in terms of rest and rehabilitation,” a former India pacer said to PTI.
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“If it would have been shin fracture, then it could have taken more than three months but shin stress fracture injury normally takes anything between 8 to 10 weeks to heal.”If Gill’s replacement, whether it’s Mayank (Agarwal) or (KL) Rahul, does well, he might have to sit out and I believe the team management also won’t show a lot of desperation in getting him fit for say, the fifth Test,” the bowler again shared.
Meanwhile, Bengal player Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to replace him whereas Shubman Gill will be with the team in the UK and it is understood that physio Nitin Patel and strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai will monitor his progress as well.
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However, Shubman Gill hasn’t been formally ruled out of the tour, even no formal news has come yet whether he will stay back or return home for his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy. Meanwhile, Team India will play a five-match Test series against England in August.
