Shubman Gill is on the path to full recovery, but his participation in Saturday’s high-stakes game against Pakistan remains uncertain. The 24-year-old opener, who has recently recuperated from Dengue fever, had an extensive net session on Thursday morning. However, it’s still unclear whether he will be deemed fit to play in the marquee match.
On Thursday, Gill arrived at the Narendra Modi Stadium at around 11 AM and spent over an hour there. He began with warm-up exercises and then proceeded to batting practice on the grounds adjacent to the main stadium. The Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) arranged the net session with six bowlers, in addition to a throwdown specialist, for Gill, who spent about half an hour at the batting nets.
If Gill doesn’t make it to the XI on Saturday, it will be a loss for the team. In the recent clash against Pakistan during the Asia Cup last month in Colombo, he played a pivotal role, aggressively taking on the feared Shaheen Shah Afridi early on in the innings and scoring a comfortable half-century. India secured a resounding victory in that game, winning by 228 runs.
Late on Thursday night, Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), arrived in Ahmedabad. The news from the Pakistan camp was that Ashraf landed in the city with his wife and will be in India for Saturday’s game. “He has come here as a guest of the BCCI,” said a PCB official.
In other news, the BCCI has confirmed that there will be a cultural programme on Saturday afternoon. The BCCI has arranged for several singers to entertain the crowd before the action begins at 2 pm. The show is scheduled to last for 30 minutes, from 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM. The toss, as usual, will be at 1.30 PM.
