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India vice-captain deals big blow to Men in Blue Shubman Gill Has been ruled out of the fourth T20I match South Africa Held at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium. He missed the first game due to a foot injury sustained before the game on Wednesday, December 17.
Injury worries intensify in India as Shubman Gill ruled out of Lucknow T20I
Gill’s exclusion adds to India’s growing availability concerns. The vice-captain had recently recovered from a neck problem that had kept him out of the previous ODI series. The setback comes after the news broke about the all-rounder. Axar Patel Will miss the remainder of the series due to illness.
With the T20 World Cup approaching in February, these injury issues have become a concern for the team management as they look to finalize their core squad for the remaining matches against South Africa and the upcoming home series against New Zealand.
Tough series for India vice-captain
Before the injury, Gill’s form was facing a decline. Tasked with finding his rhythm in the opening game after a lukewarm Asia Cup campaign, he struggled to find his footing against a Proteas attack:
- Total runs: 32 points in 3 games
- Series average:10.66
- hit rate:103.22
- recent results: 4 (Cuttack), 0 (Mulanpur) and 28 (Dharamshala).
Overall, 2025 was a quiet year by Gill’s standards, with the right-hander amassing 291 runs in 15 games at an average of 24.25.
Also read: IND vs SA: Hardik Pandya writes history with unique milestone during 3rd T20I
Sanju Samson may be back at the top
Gill’s absence is expected to be Sanzhou Samson Return to the starting lineup. Samson last played in a T20I during the tour of Australia and his record as an opener is impressive. In 2024, he performed well in India’s shortest format.
Delays start due to heavy fog in Lucknow
While news about the team got fans talking, the game itself faced weather-related obstacles. The match at the Ekana Stadium was postponed due to heavy fog in Lucknow. Ground crews and officials are monitoring visibility levels to determine when it is safe to begin.
