World Cup: Shubman Gill Discharged From Hospital; Will He Play Against Pakistan?

Chennai: Indian opener Shubman Gill was discharged from the hospital after dengue treatment last evening, the Hindustan Times reported on Tuesday.

Gill was admitted to Chennai’s multi-care speciality hospital ‘Kauvery’ after his his platelet count dropped to 70,000. “He was on drip at the Chennai team hotel for the last couple of days. However his platelet count dropped to 70,000 and as it is a case with dengue patients, once the count is below 100,000, you are admitted to a medical facility as a precautionary measure. He was admitted for all mandatory tests on Sunday night when India played Australia but by Monday evening was released,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The batter had tested positive for dengue upon his arrival in Chennai last week.

Gill has already missed India’s first two matches of the World Cup 2023 against Australia and Afghanistan and may have to sit out of the marquee World Cup clash against Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 14. If he misses the Pakistan match, his next chance to play is against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.

On Monday, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah said in a statement that he won’t be travelling with the team to Delhi and will stay back in Chennai and be under the supervision of the medical team. The Indian team’s doctor Rizwan Khan also stayed back to monitor his progress.

The absence of Gill is a big blow to Team India as he has been in exceptional form. The stylish right-handed opener is the leading run-getter in ODIs this year with a tally of 1230 at a staggering average of 72.35 and impressive strike rate of 105.03. He scored two centuries and a half-century in his last four ODIs. Gill is also potentially in line to win his second ICC Player of the Month accolade. He, along with teammate, Mohammed Siraj and England opener Dawid Malan are among the nominees for ICC Men’s Player of the Month for September 2023.