Star India batter Shubman Gill arrived in Bhubaneswar on Sunday evening, marking his availability for a highly-anticipated comeback to international cricket. The T20I vice-captain of India and full-time captain in Tests and ODIs landed in the Odisha capital around 9 PM after a long day of travel. If head coach Gautam Gambhir is to be believed, then Gill is “hungry and raring to go” ahead of the T20I series.
Cleared for Selection After Recovering from Neck Injury
Gill was selected in India’s squad for the five-match T20I series starting December 9 in Cuttack, but the selection was provisional. BCCI had made it clear that Shubman Gill would take part only after he got clearance from the CoE on his fitness.
Gill, who had injured his neck during the first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens last month, was declared fit after spending a few days at the BCCI CoE in Bengaluru, where he batted and fielded without any discomfort and underwent final assessments.
Gambhir Confirms Gill’s Full Fitness
India coach Gautam Gambhir, speaking after the third ODI in Visakhapatnam, confirmed that Shubman Gill is completely fit.
“Yes, Shubman is ready to start. That’s why he has been selected. He is fit, fine, and hungry to go,” said Gambhir, putting an end to all speculation about Gill’s availability.
Read More
Players reach Bhubaneswar for the T20I series
The majority of members from both the Indian and South African squads arrived in Bhubaneswar on Sunday morning by a chartered flight from Visakhapatnam.
Gill, who is not part of the ODI squad, came later in the evening. Local reports also confirmed that Hardik Pandya paid a visit to the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, the venue for the first T20I, for a closed-door practice session. Among the earliest to arrive in the city was Hardik.
ALSO READ: Shakib Al Hasan Has Announced His Return: Withdraws Retirement From Tests And T20Is
