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Shubman Gill Lands In Bhubaneswar; Hardik Pandya Hits Nets Ahead Of South Africa T20Is
Follow UsMeanwhile, Hardik Pandya was among the earliest to arrive and even hit the nets in a closed-door session at Barabati Stadium
India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill arrived in Bhubaneswar around 9 PM on December 7 (Sunday) and is set to take the field in the first T20I of the five-match series against South Africa at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on December 9 (Tuesday), Cricbuzz reported.
Gill, also the vice-captain of the Indian T20I side, had suffered a neck spasm while batting on Day 2 of the Eden Gardens Test against South Africa. The injury ruled him out of the remainder of the first Test in Kolkata, the second Test in Guwahati, and the entire three-match ODI series.
Even though he travelled with the team to Guwahati, Gill used the ODI window to consult specialists in Mumbai and spend time at home in Chandigarh before heading to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on December 1. He trained there for a couple of days - batting, fielding, and undergoing assessment - before being cleared by the BCCI medical team.
When the squad for the T20Is was announced, Gill was included “subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE”, and the right-hander now appears fully fit and ready to start the series in Cuttack.
After India sealed the ODI series 2-1 in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, head coach Gautam Gambhir also confirmed Gill’s availability. "Yes, Shubman is ready to start. That's why he has been selected. He is fit, fine, and hungry to go."
Most players from both India and South Africa flew from Visakhapatnam to Bhubaneswar on a chartered flight on Sunday morning, but Gill landed later in the evening as he wasn’t part of the ODI squad.
Hardik Pandya, who last turned out for India in the Asia Cup in September before suffering a left quadricep injury, was among the earliest to arrive and even hit the nets in a closed-door session at Barabati Stadium.
The all-rounder featured in two matches for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) to prove his fitness, smashing an unbeaten 77 off 42 against Punjab and bowling four overs in both games.
After the opener in Cuttack, the five-match T20I series will move to New Chandigarh (December 11), Dharamsala (December 14), Lucknow (December 17), and conclude in Ahmedabad (December 19).