Is Shubman Gill Playing Today

Is Shubman Gill Playing Today in IND vs SA 1st T20I?

Monojit Das

Modified - Dec 09, 2025, 02:10 PM

3 min

Add

As Preferred Source

India's vice-captain in T20Is, Shubman Gill, suffered a freak injury during the Test series against South Africa which ruled him out of the subsequent Test match and the ODI series as well. Gill, who is one of the best batsmen in the world, was clearly missed during the Test series which India lost.

However, the top order batter has recovered well from his injury and is back into the squad for the T20I series against South Africa. Shubman Gill is also a part of India's Playing 11 for the first T20I, which is being played at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack.

Is Shubman Gill Playing Today in IND vs SA 1st T20I?

When India's captain Suryakumar Yadav announced at the toss that Shubman Gill is playing, there was a huge roar among the crowd present at the stadium. Gill will open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma as South Africa won the toss and decided to field first.

After the toss, there was an update about Shubman Gill injury from the batter himself. Gill was asked about his recovery and he made it clear that he was absolutely fit and raring to go for this particular match.

"The body feels perfectly fine physically, I spent some time at the CoE. Perfectly fine physically and mentally feeling ready. I had a disc bulge in my neck which was hitting the nerves. When I went there (to bat), I had a bit of a spasm before the start of play in the morning. And when I played the game, I got a bulge which hit the nerve and had to go the hospital for a couple of days but recovered well after that."

Gill is a key player in India's T20I set-up because of his ability to play long. While India have some of the most dangerous batsmen in the world in this Playing 11, Gill's ability to stay at the crease for a long time makes him unique and a vital player for this team.

Shubman Gill Dismissed Cheaply on Comeback

Shubman Gill's comeback was highly anticipated but the opener was dismissed cheaply in just the third ball of the match. Before the wicket delivery, he had slammed a four on the first ball that he faced. However, he played one shot too many and was dismissed while trying to hit the ball over the infield.

While he remains one of the best batsmen in the modern era, Gill is yet to establish his credentials as a T20 player. His form in the format hasn't been great over the last few months which comes as a big concern for the Indian cricket team.

Meanwhile, the pitch for the IND vs SA 3rd T20I is a tacky one with the Indian batters finding it difficult to score runs. The Men in Blue, who are usually known for their aggressive batting style, scored just 40-2 in the powerplay.