BCCI provides medical update on Shubman Gill ahead of IND vs AFG 2023 World Cup match

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has provided a medical update on India opener Shubman Gill, who missed out on India’s 2023 World Cup opener against Australia due to illness.

The cricket body has confirmed that Gill will be unavailable for India’s upcoming fixture against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on October 11.

The right-handed batter will stay in Chennai and will be under the supervision of the BCCI’s medical team. The decision has been taken as a precautionary measure as the Men in Blue are scheduled to play nine round-robin games ahead of the knockout stage.

The Men in Blue, meanwhile, have left for Delhi for their next World Cup game.

BCCI said in a statement on Monday (October 9):

“Team India batter Shubman Gill will not be travelling with the team to Delhi on 9th October 2023. The opening batter who missed the team’s first fixture in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 against Australia in Chennai is set to miss the team’s next fixture against Afghanistan in Delhi on the 11th of October."

It added:

"He will stay back in Chennai and will be under the supervision of the medical team.”

BCCI's medical update on Shubman Gill.

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How did Ishan Kishan fare in Shubman Gill’s absence in IND vs AUS 2023 World Cup match?

Ishan Kishan opened for Team India in the absence of Gill in the World Cup game against Australia. The left-handed batter departed for a golden duck, caught out in the slip cordon by Marnus Labuschagne off Mitchell Starc.

As an opener, Kishan has amassed 448 runs in eight innings at an average of 64, with best score of 210. The 25-year-old will look to make amends against Afghanistan in the next game.

Meanwhile, Shubman Gill’s absence comes as a big loss for the Men in Blue. The right-handed batter is the only player to score 1,000+ runs in 2023, having amassed 1230 runs in 20 ODIs at an average of 72.35, including four tons and a double century.

The Punjab-born cricketer, though, is likely to make his comeback in the high-voltage game between India and Pakistan in his favorite venue – the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad – on Saturday, October 14.