Shubman Gill will miss India’s 2023 ODI World Cup opening against Australia on Sunday owing to dengue sickness, according to sources. The opening batter missed the team’s training session in Chennai and may be replaced at the top of the order by Ishan Kishan if he does not recover in time.
Gill will be unable to play against Australia since he is currently suffering from dengue fever. Team India will be hoping that the in-form hitter recovers quickly so that he can play in the final league-stage games of the 2023 ODI World Cup.
According to Cricbuzz, the team management is still unsure about Gill’s position before India’s first match against Australia.
“He’s under the weather, the medical team is closely monitoring him. We are hoping he gets better soon,” a team official said.
Shubman Gill’s battle against dengue casts doubt on his appearance in Indo-Pak clash
According to the same article, Gill could be ‘gone for a few days, if not longer’. As a result, he may be ruled out of Team India’s first round of games following the encounter with the Men in Yellow.
The Men in Blue are slated to play Afghanistan in Delhi on October 11 and archrival Pakistan in Ahmedabad on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. This suggests that the opening batter may be in a race against time to recover in time for the high-voltage Indo-Pak match.
A typical case of dengue fever can last up to a week, and given that the player has been running a high temperature since arriving in Chennai, he should be fully recovered within the next week.
Gill may feel weak even after recuperation and may require some additional time to regain his fitness. All of these variables make his inclusion in the playing XI against Pakistan a significant gamble.
The ailment may have influenced Team India’s decision to rest him for the third One-Day International against Australia in Rajkot.
Shubman Gill is ranked second in the ICC ODI rankings
Gill is, without a doubt, one of the most important batters in the current lineup. His present form, combined with his skill, make him a marginal threat, with numerous experts even tipping him to be the World Cup’s leading run-scorer, despite this being his first major white-ball event in Indian colors.
Gill is ranked second only to Babar Azam in the ODI rankings for hitters, according to the most recent rankings ahead to the 2023 ODI World Cup. The youngster has 839 ranking points, falling just short of Babar’s total.