Kolkata: Team India captain Shubman Gill, who suffered a neck injury during the first Test match against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, has travel with the team to Guwahati, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said.
His health will continue to be monitored by the BCCI medical staff, and a decision regarding his participation in the second Test will be made based on his progress, it has been said.
Gill had suffered a neck injury on Day 2 of the Kolkata test and was taken to the hospital for examination after play ended. According to the BCCI, he was kept under observation and discharged the following day.
“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 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,” the BCCI said in a post on X.
The Guwahati match is a crucial one for India as South Africa clinched the first test by 30 runs, moving 1–0 in the two-match series.
This was the Proteas’ first Test triumph in India in 15 years. The hosts crumbled to 93 all out in their second innings, falling short of a 124-run chase at Eden Gardens. Off-spinner Simon Harmer produced an excellent spell, finishing with 4 for 21 from 14 overs, while left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj contributed 2 for 37. All-rounder Marco Jansen also chipped in with 2 for 15 as the reigning World Test Champions wrapped up an emphatic result inside three days.
India felt Gill’s absence during the second innings. This was only the second occasion when India failed to chase such a low fourth-innings target in Tests, the previous being 120 against the West Indies in Barbados in 1997. It was also the second-lowest total ever defended by South Africa in Test cricket, after chasing 117 against Australia in Sydney in 1994.
If Gill is not considered fit enough to play in the second Test, the team will have to find a suitable replacement.
The ongoing series is crucial as it is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. It marks the start of a transition that saw the retirements of senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
India have now lost four of their last six home Tests and will need a win in Guwahati to stay alive in the series. The second test is scheduled to begin on November 22. This will give some time to Gill to recover.
