India’s all-format leadership plans have taken a major hit with Shubman Gill’s prolonged absence, as the young captain continues to recover from the neck injury he sustained during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata.
The injury, suffered on Day 2 at Eden Gardens, has kept the 26-year-old out of the ongoing second Test in Guwahati and will also rule him out of the upcoming ODI series beginning November 30 in Ranchi.
What initially appeared to be a short recovery period has now stretched into a much longer layoff, raising concerns about his availability for the entire 2025 season.
Gill, who leads the Test and ODI sides and serves as vice-captain in T20Is, was initially expected to recover in time for the T20I series starting December 9 in Cuttack. However, a fresh report from PTI has indicated that his return could take much longer. According to the agency, Gill is now likely to make his comeback only during India’s home ODI series against New Zealand in January 2026.
A BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity, “The selectors expect that Shubman Gill’s neck injury will heal and he will be back against New Zealand (3 ODIs in January 2026).”
If this timeline holds, Gill will miss all international assignments for the remainder of 2025-a significant blow for India’s preparations leading into next year. The New Zealand tour in early 2026 includes three ODIs and five T20Is. The ODI series begins on January 11 at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, followed by matches in Rajkot on January 14 and Indore on January 18. The T20Is will be staged across Nagpur, Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram from January 21 to 31.
In Gill’s absence, India are expected to rely on Yashasvi Jaiswal to fill the top-order role in the T20I series. Jaiswal-part of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad-last featured in the format in July 2024 in Pallekele. He was edged out of the Asia Cup 2025 squad in favour of Gill, who was also named captain for the tournament.
Gill’s inconsistent run with the bat in recent series didn’t affect the selectors’ long-term faith in him, but his injury has now forced India to rethink plans heading into a crucial cricketing cycle. His eventual return in 2026 will mark a critical moment for India’s leadership and batting structure.