Chennai: The Indian team’s worries ahead of their opening World Cup game against Australia have been compounded with in-form Shubman Gill suspected to be suffering from dengue. Officials said that Shubman Gill is a doubtful starter for Sunday’s match against Australia here. Ishan Kishan could open the innings in case Gill is ruled out.
The BCCI is yet to confirm the nature of the illness but head coach Rahul Dravid does not want to throw in the towel yet with 36 hours still to go for the match.
“He (Gill) is feeling better today (Friday). The medical team is monitoring him, and he is doing better,” Dravid said during a press conference here Friday. However, Dravid, who is known for being non-committal, played it safe. “He is not technically out for the first game. We will take the decision after tomorrow,” Dravid added.
Earlier, the BCCI said they were waiting for updates on Gill. “He’s under the weather, the medical team is closely monitoring him. We are hoping he gets better soon. We will have to wait on more updates from the medical team,” the medical update from BCCI stated.
Gill, India’s most prolific batter in ODIs in recent times, is reportedly down with high fever. According to sources he has tested positive for dengue. If Gill indeed has dengue, he could miss a couple of games in the World Cup.
The recovery from dengue normally takes 7-10 days for a player to be match-fit again. However, if there is a significant drop in the platelet count, his recuperation could take much more time.
While Gill could be a non-starter against Australia, there is a high chance that he won’t play against Afghanistan (October 11) and Pakistan (October 14) in case the recovery takes more time. “Let’s not jump the gun. If it’s normal viral fever, he could play on antibiotics but it’s completely the medical team’s call,” the source said.
Gill, who has scored 1,200 runs this season, has forged a successful opening stand with skipper Rohit Sharma of late. If he is absent for a long period of time, it could be a big setback for the Indian team.