Shubman Gill Rushed to Hospital With Serious Neck Injury During India–South Africa Test in Kolkata

India captain Shubman Gill’s participation in the remainder of the opening Test is now in major doubt after he was stretchered into an ambulance with his neck fully immobilised on Saturday evening. The dramatic development came hours after he was forced to retire hurt during India’s first innings on Day 2 at Eden Gardens.

Gill initially walked off on just 4 runs, clutching the back of his neck, after suffering what appeared to be a whiplash injury while slog-sweeping South Africa’s Simon Harmer for a boundary. The Indian physio rushed to assess him immediately, but the discomfort persisted, leading the opener to retire hurt after facing only three deliveries.

Later in the evening, concern intensified when Gill was seen being transported out of the stadium with a cervical collar, strapped to a stretcher, and taken to Woodlands Hospital, where he will remain under observation through the night.

Morne Morkel Attributes Injury to Possible “Bad Sleep”

South Africa’s assistant coach Morne Morkel suggested that Gill’s condition may not be related to workload but possibly the result of “a bad night’s sleep”.

“We first need to determine how he got the neck stiffness, maybe just a bad night’s sleep. I don’t think we can put it down to the load,”
Morkel said when asked if Gill’s continuous playing schedule contributed to the injury.

Gill has had a non-stop cricket calendar since leading India in the demanding England Test series earlier this year. He joined the squad directly after the Australia white-ball series in Brisbane, returned to Kolkata on Sunday, and began training again on Tuesday — allowing virtually no recovery time.

However, Morkel emphasised that Gill is among the most well-conditioned athletes in world cricket:

“Gill is extremely fit and takes great care of himself. It was just unfortunate he woke up with a stiff neck on such a crucial day for us.”

BCCI Issues Medical Update

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a statement confirming that Gill is being closely monitored:

“Shubman Gill has a neck spasm and is being monitored by the BCCI medical team. A decision on his participation today will be taken as per his progress.”

Incident Took Place During Eventful 35th Over

Gill’s injury occurred shortly after the drinks break in the 35th over — an over in which Simon Harmer had just dismissed Washington Sundar for 29 (82) with a classic off-spinner’s delivery that drifted, turned, and kissed the outside edge straight to Aiden Markram at slip.

With India already under pressure and the match heading toward an early finish — possibly as soon as Day 3 — Gill’s uncertain availability has left the team anxious as they navigate the remainder of the contest.

News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.