Shubman Gill retires hurt with neck sprain

India opener Shubman Gill was forced to retire hurt on the second day of the first Test against South Africa after suffering a neck sprain. The incident happened on Saturday during India’s reply.

Gill faced just three balls before the injury forced him off the field. He managed to strike Simon Harmer for a four with a slog sweep over backward square leg, but seemed to suffer a whiplash in the follow-through, immediately clutching the back of his neck.

The physio quickly rushed onto the field, and after a brief check, Gill walked off grimacing in discomfort. The BCCI has not yet released any official statement on the severity of the injury.


The injury came during an eventful 35th over, shortly after the drinks break. Moments earlier, Harmer had dismissed a well-set Washington Sundar for 29 off 82 balls. Sundar edged a drifting ball to slip, where Aiden Markram took a neat catch.

Gill’s premature exit meant India effectively lost three batters in quick succession, two wickets (Yashasvi Jaiswal and Washington Sundar) and a retired hurt. This changed the session’s dynamics considerably.

At the time, India’s score read 79/2 after 35 overs, but with Gill retired hurt, the hosts could be considered three down while chasing South Africa’s first innings total of 159.