File photo of Shubman Gill© AFP
India’s star opening batter Shubman Gill faces a tumultuous period where it isn’t clear how soon he will be able to regain match fitness and be available for selection in the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2023. Gill missed India’s opening match against Australia and is out of the Afghanistan clash too. Having spent a couple of days in the hospital, Gill is unlikely to be fit for the Pakistan clash. The situation is such that the selectors have reportedly already started looking for possible replacements.
As per a report in Indian Expres, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have shortlisted the names of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the two backups for the unwell Gill.
Having seen his blood platelets dropping since being contracted dengue, Gill is bound to take time before he can return to the peak of his health again. In such a case the selectors understandably want to be prepared.
Both Jaiswal and Gaikwad were part of the Indian squad in the Hangzhou Asian Games. The two opening batters have been in the reckoning for opening spots in the Indian team in multiple formats. While Ishan Kishan could continue to open alongside Rohit Sharma, it’s vital for the management to have another player available in the 15-man roster.
“Shubman Gill was on drip at the Chennai team hotel for the last couple of days. His platelet count dropped to 70,000 and he was admitted to a medical facility as a precautionary measure. He was admitted for all mandatory tests on Sunday night when India played Australia but by Monday evening he was discharged,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
A bout of dengue weakens the body considerably and even elite athletes take time to recover completely.
For a normal person, the range of platelet count needs to be between 150,000 to 450,000.
With PTI inputs
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