Shubman Gill ruled out of Guwahati Test amid injury concern:Rishabh Pant set to lead Team India, marking red-ball captaincy debut; Sai Sudharsan replaces Gill for 2nd Test

India suffered a major setback ahead of the second Test against South Africa, as captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out due to a neck injury. The match, scheduled to begin on Saturday in Guwahati, is a must-win encounter for India after their 30-run defeat in Kolkata. With Gill unavailable, vice-captain Rishabh Pant will lead the team, marking an important moment in his red-ball career. Gill arrived in Guwahati on Wednesday with the squad, but the decision regarding his participation became clear soon after medical assessments. Despite travelling without a neck brace, the opener has not recovered enough to play. The 26-year-old had injured his neck while batting in the first innings of the Kolkata Test. He did not take the field during South Africa’s second innings, nor did he come out to bat in India’s chase of 124, which ended in a disappointing loss. BCCI confirms injury status as Shubman Gill ruled out of 2nd Test Gill was taken to a Kolkata hospital after Day 2 of the first Test and spent the night under observation before being discharged. In its official statement released on Wednesday, the BCCI explained the details of his injury and recovery process. The statement read: “Team India captain Shubman Gill suffered a neck injury on Day 2 of the Kolkata Test against South Africa and was taken to the hospital for examination after the end of the day’s play. He was kept under observation and discharged the next day. Shubman has been responding well to the medical treatment provided and will travel to Guwahati with the team on 19th November, 2025.” According to The Indian Express, Gill wanted to ‘give his best shot’ to be fit for the match, but after the team reached Assam, the assessment seems to have changed. Sai Sudharsan, Gill’s Gujarat Titans teammate, is the frontrunner to take his place. Sudharsan has played as India’s No. 3 in earlier assignments, delivering key knocks like 87 and 39 in the last match he played for the country. Sai Sudharsan to replace Gill in Guwahati Test With Gill unavailable, young left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan is expected to join the playing XI. He was one of the players present in India’s optional training session at Eden Gardens earlier this week, along with Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja, and Devdutt Padikkal. Rishabh Pant set to lead Team India, marking his first-ever Test captaincy In Gill’s absence, Rishabh Pant is set to lead Team India, it will mark his first-ever Test as captain, a responsibility he had been expected to take on before his accident. Gill eventually took over earlier this year, but Pant now appears ready to return to a leadership role. The team may still face selection challenges. Replacing Gill with Sudharsan will leave India with as many as seven left-handed batters, an unusual and risky combination. This could strengthen South Africa’s off-spinner Simon Harmer’s chances, especially after he took eight wickets in Kolkata.