Shubman Gill ruled out of second Test versus South Africa at Guwahati, Rishabh Pant set to lead

Shubman Gill sustained a neck injury while batting in the first innings of the first Test in Kolkata and neither fielded in South Africa’s second innings nor did he bat in India’s second innings during their chase of 124 runs for victory.

India’s captain Shubman Gill arrives ahead of the second Test cricket match of a series between India and South Africa, at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, in Guwahati, Assam, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. (PTI Photo)

India’s Test captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the second Test against South Africa starting in Guwahati on Saturday. Rishabh Pant will lead India in the 26-year-old’s absence, with the left-handed batsman Sai Sudharsan likely to come in for the skipper in the playing XI.

Gill sustained a neck injury while batting in the first innings of the first Test in Kolkata and neither fielded in South Africa’s second innings nor did he bat in India’s second innings during their chase of 124 runs for victory.

The right-hander was taken to a Kolkata hospital after the second day’s play and was discharged the following day. A BCCI press release on Wednesday said that the 26-year-old would travel with the squad to Guwahati, and he will be monitored by the BCCI’s medical team.

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“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 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,“ the release said.

The hosts are in a must-win scenario, heading into the second Test match after South Africa won the series opener by 30 runs. The team had an optional practice session at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday, which saw the likes of Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Akash Deep, Ravindra Jadeja, and Devdutt Padikkal in attendance.

All five days of the Guwahati Test will start at 9 a.m., with the tea break taking place before the lunch break for the first time ever in Test cricket history.

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