File photo of Shubman Gill© AFP
Indian men’s cricket team batting coach Vikram Rathour disclosed that Shubman Gill was hospitalized but as a “precaution” and he has returned to the hotel in Chennai. Gill has been battling an illness and is still in the recovery stage in Chennai. The young opening batter missed India’s opening match against Australia in Chennai. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday ruled out Gill from India’s clash against Afghanistan in Delhi after confirming that he stayed in Chennai under the supervision of the medical team.
Rathour was quizzed about an update on Gill while referring to a news item that he was hospitalised and then he has been brought back to the hotel.
Rathour shed some light on the matter and said in the pre-match press conference, “He is recovering well. He was hospitalised, yes, but that was more as a precaution. He is back in the hotel; he is recovering well. So, being monitored by the medical team and whatever update we get, we are hoping that he will recover pretty soon. He is looking good actually.”
In Gill’s absence, India is likely to stick with the same playing XI that they named in the World Cup campaign opener against Australia. Ishan Kishan will be the most viable option to open alongside skipper Rohit Sharma.
Rathour stressed India’s experienced batting unit and asserted that batters know how to play in the 50-over format even with the amount of freedom they are enjoying in their respective positions.
“We have a very experienced batting unit at the moment. I don’t think that message is required. Everyone knows how they have to play in this format. We have a very settled batting unit at the moment. Everyone has their own way. We are giving them the freedom to play the way they want to play. And we understand that everybody has a different way of playing. But everyone has their own way of playing and we have the trust that if they play and back themselves, we will achieve what we are looking to achieve,” Rathour added.
India will face Afghanistan in their second World Cup clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Wednesday.
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