Shubman Gill Ruled Out of Second Test in Guwahati, Rishabh Pant to Lead India
India’s Test captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the second Test against South Africa, starting Saturday in Guwahati. With Gill unavailable, Rishabh Pant will take over the captaincy, while Sai Sudharsan is expected to slot into the playing XI in his absence.
Gill sustained a neck injury while batting in the first innings of the Kolkata Test. The blow forced him to miss the entire fielding session during South Africa’s second innings, and he also didn’t come out to bat during India’s chase of 124 runs in the fourth innings.
After the end of play on Day 2, the 26-year-old was taken to a hospital in Kolkata for precautionary scans. He was discharged the following day, with the BCCI medical team continuing to monitor his progress closely. In an official statement released on Wednesday, the board confirmed that Gill would travel with the squad to Guwahati despite the injury.
According to the BCCI, “Team India captain Shubman Gill suffered a neck injury on Day 2 of the Kolkata Test against South Africa 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. Shubman has been responding well to the medical treatment provided and will travel to Guwahati with the team on 19th November, 2025.”
India head into the Guwahati Test in a must-win situation, trailing 0–1 in the India vs South Africa Test series after losing the opener by 30 runs. The team held an optional practice session at Eden Gardens on Tuesday, where players like Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja, and Devdutt Padikkal turned up for training.
Adding a historic twist to the fixture, all five days of the Guwahati Test will begin at 9 a.m., and for the first time in Test cricket history, the tea break will be taken before the lunch break.
Gill sustained a neck injury while batting in the first innings of the Kolkata Test. The blow forced him to miss the entire fielding session during South Africa’s second innings, and he also didn’t come out to bat during India’s chase of 124 runs in the fourth innings.
After the end of play on Day 2, the 26-year-old was taken to a hospital in Kolkata for precautionary scans. He was discharged the following day, with the BCCI medical team continuing to monitor his progress closely. In an official statement released on Wednesday, the board confirmed that Gill would travel with the squad to Guwahati despite the injury.
According to the BCCI, “Team India captain Shubman Gill suffered a neck injury on Day 2 of the Kolkata Test against South Africa 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. Shubman has been responding well to the medical treatment provided and will travel to Guwahati with the team on 19th November, 2025.”
India head into the Guwahati Test in a must-win situation, trailing 0–1 in the India vs South Africa Test series after losing the opener by 30 runs. The team held an optional practice session at Eden Gardens on Tuesday, where players like Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja, and Devdutt Padikkal turned up for training.
Adding a historic twist to the fixture, all five days of the Guwahati Test will begin at 9 a.m., and for the first time in Test cricket history, the tea break will be taken before the lunch break.
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