Indian Test captain Shubman Gill gave the team management a scare on Thursday after copping two separate blows during a intense training session in Colombo. The incident occurred on the eve of India’s three-day warm-up fixture against a local Sri Lanka XI, threatening to throw the visitors’ pre-series preparations into disarray.
The initial scare unfolded in the nets when Gill was struck cleanly on his right thumb while facing pacer Gurnoor Brar, according to Times Now. The 26-year-old skipper immediately called for the medical team, leaving the session briefly to have his thumb strapped up by the team physio. Demonstrating characteristic resilience, Gill returned to the crease, eventually shifting to the spin nets to complete the remainder of his batting drills.
However, the drama was far from over. Later in the afternoon, during a slip-catching routine, Gill copped a second blow to his right hand after misjudging a sharp chance. The hit forced him to halt fielding drills to apply an ice pack. Fortunately for India, preliminary assessments indicated no structural damage or fracture, and Gill was able to see out the rest of the day’s work without major discomfort.
INJURIES APLENTY
The double injury scare comes at a particularly delicate time for India. With the first Test set to get underway in Galle on August 15, head coach Gautam Gambhir’s squad is already grappling with a depleted roster. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has already been ruled out of the two-match series due to injury, while all-rounder Washington Sundar and seam prospect Harshit Rana are also sidelined. Top-order batter Sai Sudharsan is recovering from a toe issue back at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, missing the warm-up clash altogether.
Given the mounting fitness concerns across the squad, the Indian team management will be extremely cautious about player workloads during the three-day warm-up game starting Friday at the Nondescripts Cricket Club. While Gill is expected to lead the side, his fielding involvement may be monitored closely to prevent any further aggravation to his hand.
As India kicks off their 2025–27 World Test Championship cycle in the island nation, a fully fit Shubman Gill remains crucial to their ambitions of securing a series victory on spin-friendly tracks.
Gill has had a sensational run in Test cricket, having scored 1109 runs in his last 10 Tests with six hundreds. Having not played red-ball cricket in Sri Lanka before, the skipper will be keen on getting used to the conditions in the warm-up match before the series opener gets underway on August 15.
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