KL Rahul to lead India in the warm-up match as the BCCI medical team monitors Gill’s recovery ahead of the first Test.
India have suffered a major injury setback ahead of their two-match Test series against Sri Lanka after captain Shubman Gill injured his right ring finger during a training session.
The 26-year-old sustained the injury on Thursday and has been ruled out of the opening day of India’s warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) XI as a precaution.
BCCI Monitoring Gill’s Recovery
In an official statement, India confirmed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical team is closely monitoring the captain’s condition.
“Captain Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right ring finger during India’s practice on Thursday.
“As a precautionary measure, he will not take the field on Day 1 of the warm-up game against SLC XI.
“The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress.”
In Gill’s absence, KL Rahul will captain the side during the opening day of the practice fixture.
Doubt Over First Test
The injury has cast uncertainty over Gill’s availability for the first Test against Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to begin on August 15 in Galle.
The Indian team management has not confirmed whether the skipper will recover in time for the opening match of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series.
India’s Injury Woes Deepen
Gill’s injury adds to an already lengthy list of unavailable players ahead of the important tour.
India are without several key cricketers, including:
• Jasprit Bumrah (knee injury)
• Harshit Rana (hamstring)
• Nitish Kumar Reddy (quadriceps)
• Washington Sundar (hamstring)
In addition, Sai Sudharsan remains in the squad with his fitness still to be confirmed.
Crucial WTC Series
The two-match series is expected to play a significant role in the race for a place in the ICC World Test Championship Final, which is scheduled to be held at The Oval next year.
India currently sit fifth in the WTC standings, with Sri Lanka occupying sixth place, making a strong start to the campaign important for both teams.
India Squad
India have named the following squad for the tour:
• Shubman Gill (captain)
• KL Rahul (vice-captain)
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Rishabh Pant
• Sai Sudharsan (fitness pending)
• Dhruv Jurel
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Manav Suthar
• Mohammed Siraj
• Prasidh Krishna
• Gurnoor Brar
• Devdutt Padikkal
• Saransh Jain
• Auqib Nabi
Series Schedule
• First Test: August 15–19, Galle
• Second Test: August 23–27, Colombo
India will be hoping Gill makes a swift recovery as they seek to begin their World Test Championship campaign on a positive note despite a growing list of injury concerns.