India captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury scare during Friday’s net session after being struck on his right elbow by a delivery from Mohammed Siraj, two days before the first ODI against the West Indies at the Greenfield International Stadium.
The incident occurred when a length delivery from Siraj climbed sharply off the pitch and hit Gill directly on the elbow. The India skipper immediately dropped his bat and walked away in pain before receiving treatment from team physiotherapist Kamlesh Jain.
Gill spent close to 20 minutes with the medical staff as the support team assessed the injury.
Gill does not return to nets
Gill appeared visibly uncomfortable after the blow and did not resume batting for the remainder of the session. Siraj and Virat Kohli, who was batting in a neighbouring net, were among those who went over to check on the India captain.
Gill was later seen interacting with young pacer Gurnoor Brar, providing some relief after the worrying moment.
With the series opener scheduled for Sunday, the Indian team management is expected to monitor Gill’s condition closely before deciding on his availability.
The latest setback comes after Gill had also picked up a minor fitness concern during India’s recent tour of Sri Lanka. He was struck on his ring finger during a practice session but recovered in time to feature in the series, which India won 1-0.
Rohit, Kohli get extended net time
Before being hit on the elbow, Gill had looked comfortable while batting alongside Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Rohit and Kohli also had extended batting sessions, spending around 20 minutes in the nets against a combination of India’s squad bowlers and local net bowlers.
Gill’s injury scare comes as India manages a number of fitness concerns ahead of the ODI series. Seam-bowling all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Harshit Rana remain unavailable.
West Indies yet to train in Thiruvananthapuram
The West Indies, meanwhile, are yet to begin their training preparations after arriving in Thiruvananthapuram on September 23.
The visitors are scheduled to hold their first net session on Saturday, a day before the opening ODI.
The West Indies squad enters the series amid developments involving Cricket West Indies, which recently announced a 25 per cent reduction in player retainer fees and cancelled this year’s men’s Super50 tournament, citing rising operational costs.
The first ODI between India and West Indies will be played at the Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday.