Shubman Gill's return date confirmed, star batter to feature against South Africa on this date

India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, who is currently on the road to recovery from a neck injury, will likely to join the squad for the T20I series against South Africa. After finishing the ODI series, India is scheduled to play a five-match T20I series against the same opponent, which will start from December 9. If all goes well, Gill might be among those assembling in Bhubaneswar for the match.

Gill to be at BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE)

Cricbuzz reported that Gill is expected to be at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. He will reach there later in the day and start rehab for his neck injury straight away. At this stage, there is more than a 50 per cent chance that he will be cleared by the CoE to resume international cricket, which he has missed since the second day of the first Test in Kolkata last month (November 15).

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How Gill got injured

Gill, who got an injury during the first Test match against South Africa in Kolkata, travelled to Mumbai for consultations with specialists regarding his neck spasms. He spent three days in the city before heading home to Chandigarh, where he continued his personal rehab. On Monday, he set out for Bengaluru.

Gill suffered muscle spasms on the second day of the Eden Test, which forced him to miss not only the remaining Tests against South Africa but also the three ODIs. The selectors will pick the squad for the five T20 matches in the next few days, and there’s a good chance he might be fit in time.

According to people close to the team, he has been working really hard on his recovery and is keen to return as soon as possible. “He has put in a lot of effort during rehab. Now it depends on the CoE,” one source said. They also mentioned that if everything goes well, he should reach Cuttack by December 6 or 7, when the T20I squad is expected to meet. reported Cricbuzz.

Will Hardik feature in T20Is against South Africa?

Sports Tak earlier reported that Hardik Pandya will have to prove his fitness in domestic cricket before making an international comeback, and he will be a part of India's T20I squad against New Zealand.