Why is Shubman Gill not playing India's warm-up clash vs Sri Lanka XI? Full fitness update

India’s Test captain, Shubman Gill, is very unlikely to be part of the ongoing three-day warm-up clash for the blue brigade against Sri Lanka XI at the NCC, as the star player took a blow to his finger while training on the eve of the encounter and didn’t take the field on the opening day of the warm-up fixture.

Gill came to the ground with the rest of the team and observed the bowling performance of the Indian side from the dugout with the support staff members and the head coach of the national side, Gautam Gambhir. He didn’t show any discomfort and looked in high spirits as it raised hopes that he could bat on the second day.

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The Sri Lanka series has been incredibly important for the WTC 2023 runners-up as they lost their previous series at home against South Africa, where their batters struggled to counter the Protea spinners. They will also face the same acid test against the Sri Lankan spinners in the upcoming series.

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During the warm-up contest, Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed on the second-ball duck as Devdutt Padikkal walked out to bat at number three. Gill was still in his training gear despite being the number 4 of the blue brigade. He gently strolled near the ropes with the support staff.

After some laps, the Indian captain went straight into the nets where some players were batting. He had a lengthy discussion with Gurnoor Brar before the throwdown specialists tested the lanky seamer.  

Will Shubman Gill be fit for the Galle Test opener on August 15?

It has been claimed by the Times of India that while Gill’s finger is in good shape, the management doesn’t want to take any chances with the captain. The management decided that the Indian right-handed batter will sit out this fixture to be absolutely prepared for the Galle Test. The injuries have been quite regular for the Punjab-born, who missed the opening South Africa Test in Kolkata with a neck injury. 

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In the absence of Gill, KL Rahul led the Indian side in the warm-up clash against Sri Lanka XI, who posted 363/8 on the opening day, thanks to three half-centuries in their batting line-up.

The opening game will be on August 15 at the Galle International Stadium before the action moves to August 23 for the second clash at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.