The Indian cricket team will begin their Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign against Australia on Sunday but the Rohit Sharma-led side suffered a massive setback as in-form batter Shubman Gill was suspected to be suffering from dengue. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) did not confirm the exact nature of his illness but doubts remain over his availability for India's World Cup opener. India skipper Rohit Sharma provided a massive health update on Gill during the pre-match press conference on Saturday and said that although he is not feeling well, they are not ruling him out of the match just yet.
“Gill is not feeling well, giving him every chance to see how he feels. Not ruled out yet,” Rohit said.“Shubman Gill is sick, I feel for him. I want him to be well. As a human being first, not as captain. He is a young boy, has fit body and he will recover,” the Indian cricket team skipper added.
Earlier, head coach Rahul Dravid echoed similar sentiments.
“He is feeling better today. The medical team is monitoring him, and he is doing better," Dravid said during a press conference on Friday.
Further Dravid, who is known for being non-committal, played it safe.
“He is not technically out for the first game. The medical team is monitoring him and (we) will take the decision after tomorrow,” Dravid said.
Earlier, the BCCI said they were waiting for updates on Gill.
“He's under the weather, the medical team is closely monitoring him. We are hoping he gets better soon. We will have to wait on more updates from the medical team,” the medical update stated.
(With PTI inputs)