In what came as an unfortunate piece of news for Team India and its fans, star in-form batter Shubman Gill has tested positive for dengue ahead of the Men in Blue's opening ODI World Cup match against Australia. According to a report in The Indian Express, the stylish right-handed batter missed the team's training session on Thursday (October 5) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and is now facing a strong possibility of getting ruled out from the country's game against the Baggy Greens on October 8 (Sunday).
The report further added that Gill is being monitored closely and his availability for the match against Australia depends on the test which is scheduled to take place on Friday (October 6).
In case the 24-year-old batter fails to return a negative test or recover in time, either Ishan Kishan or KL Rahul will be promoted to the top of the order to open the innings alongside captain Rohit Sharma. Both Kishan and Rahul have the experience of opening the innings with the former having scored a double century for India in ODIs as an opener.
Having said that, if Gill misses the match against Australia, it will be a massive blow for India as the young willow-wielder has been in the form of his life.
Gill's meteoric rise in 2023 has reinforced his position as a key player in the Indian ODI setup. His latest exploits against Australia and an exceptional run through the year are testaments to his undeniable talent and growing stature in international cricket.
Talking about Gill's numbers in 2023, he has scored the most runs in ODIs among all the batters. The attractive batter has amassed 1,230 runs in 20 innings at a stupendous average of over 72. Gill has notched five centuries and as many half-centuries in 50-over international cricket in 2023. The Gujarat Titans' batter also registered a double century in the ODIs earlier in the year.
Moving forward, all eyes will be on Gill's recovery and test results as the entire country now hopes for the right-handed batter's swift recovery.
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