Colombo: Shubman Gill’s injury scare raises concerns for India’s Test campaign

By Arjun Nair / 07.08.2026

By Arjun Nair — 6 August 2026 — 3 min read

India Test captain Shubman Gill experienced an injury scare during a training session in Colombo, prompting concerns about his fitness ahead of the team’s World Test Championship campaign in Sri Lanka. The incidents occurred during net practice and a slip-catching drill, though initial medical assessments indicated no fracture or serious damage.

During the intense training session, which took place a day before India’s three-day warm-up match against a Sri Lanka XI, Gill was struck twice on his right hand. The first instance happened in the nets when a delivery from pacer Gurnoor Brar hit his right thumb. The 26-year-old immediately sought attention from the team physio, Kamlesh Jain, who strapped his thumb. Despite the setback, Gill resumed batting, facing spinners as part of his preparations.

Later in the session, during a slip-catching drill, Gill was again hit on the same hand after failing to cleanly gather a sharp chance. He briefly stepped away to apply an ice pack, which raised further concerns within the Indian camp. However, initial medical evaluations confirmed that there was no fracture or significant damage, allowing the skipper to complete the remainder of the session without major discomfort.

Training Session Details

The Indian team conducted a three-hour practice session at the Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC), focusing on countering spin. The sequence of practice varied from the previous day, with players like KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal starting against spin rather than pace. Kuldeep Yadav bowled to both, alongside Ravindra Jadeja, Saransh Jain, and Manav Suthar.

Rahul batted fluently against the spinners, utilizing the depth of the crease and regularly employing square cuts and back-foot punches. Suthar deceived him with a delivery, and Saransh also beat him shortly after. Both Indian openers batted for approximately 40 minutes against spin before moving to throwdowns. Jaiswal then had a separate session with throwdown specialists, who were instructed to bowl short deliveries.

Gill initially faced fast bowlers for about 30-40 minutes before switching to spinners with Devdutt Padikkal. Compared to the previous day, Gill focused more on his defensive technique rather than attempting aerial shots. Padikkal’s footwork also showed improvement from the initial session. Brar bowled alongside Mohammed Siraj and Auqib Nabi for around 45 minutes before they also had batting stints.

Among the wicketkeeper-batters, Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant began with throwdowns before facing spinners. Both were aggressive against the net bowlers, with Pant hitting several big shots down the ground. Pant also appeared to be in good spirits, sharing laughs with bowling coach Morne Morkel.

Jurel had the longest batting session among all batters, continuing against local net bowlers after finishing with the main bowlers. Head coach Gautam Gambhir was actively involved, chatting with players and sharing smiles with Jadeja. At the end of the practice, Rahul was seen working on his sweep shots in the rough, with Gambhir and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak assisting him.

Fielding coach Shubhadeep Ghosh led close-in fielding drills, with Gill, Rahul, Padikkal, and Jaiswal all participating. This session marked India’s final practice before their warm-up match against SLC XI. The intensity remained high, but the team’s atmosphere appeared relaxed and upbeat ahead of the practice game. Gill’s fitness is considered crucial as India prepares to begin their 2025-27 World Test Championship campaign in Sri Lanka, with the opening Test scheduled for August 15.

Source: m.rediff.com