Shubman Gill’s return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy has been delayed after he was forced to miss Saturday’s clash against Sikkim due to a bout of food poisoning.
Gill arrived in Jaipur on Friday afternoon and was expected to feature in the fifth round of matches. However, a decision was taken to rest him in consultation with the doctors and team management. The call is believed to have been made with an eye on the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand, starting January 11 in Vadodara, where Gill is expected to lead.
“Gill didn’t feel well at night, and was advised to rest by the doctors,” a team source confirmed. He is, however, understood to be recovering well and is likely to play in the sixth round on January 6 against Goa, before linking up with the ODI squad, which is set to be announced over the weekend.
Gill’s absence didn’t greatly affect Punjab as they overhauled a modest 76-run target in just 6.2 overs, with Prabhsimran Singh slamming an unbeaten 53. The game was set up by pace spearhead Arshdeep Singh, who returned figures of 5 for 34 – his third five-for in List-A cricket.
Gill has endured a torrid time with injuries and illnesses over the past few months. He was just three balls into his innings in the first Test against South Africa when he hurt his neck and had to go off the field. He did not play in the remainder of the series, with Rishabh Pant leading India in Guwahati.
He then picked up a toe injury during the T20I series last month against South Africa, and was eventually left out of India’s squad for the T20 World Cup.
