India vs South Africa: Relentless Calendar Finally Catches Up With Shubman Gill
India vs South Africa: Shubman Gill's availability in the second innings is still undecided. He is under observation
The Indian captain's availability in the second innings is still undecided. He is under observation. A neck spasm in Kolkata has reopened questions about workload, leadership and mental fatigue. Shubman Gill has spent the past 18 months carrying India's batting and, increasingly, its leadership ambitions. On Friday in Kolkata, the strain showed. Just three balls into his innings in the first Test against South Africa, Gill walked off Eden Gardens clutching his neck - a rare but telling moment for a player who has seemed almost superhuman in his appetite for runs, formats and responsibility.
India were 75 for 2 when Gill, facing his third delivery, attempted a slog sweep off Simon Harmer and sent it cleanly over square-leg for four. But the shot came with an unexpected price: as he finished the motion, Gill winced, removed his helmet and rubbed the back of his neck. The physio signalled immediately, and within minutes India's captain was trudging off, still massaging the stiffening muscle. He did not return. India ended their first innings on 189, with a slender 30-run lead and a new worry.
"Shubman Gill has a neck spasm and is being monitored by the BCCI medical team. A decision on his participation today will be taken based on his progress," read the BCCI's update after the first session.
But beyond the medical bulletin lurks a broader question: has Gill's extraordinary workload finally begun to take its toll?
Gill is not just India's most prolific batter in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle - he is its marathoner. His 954 runs in just nine Tests (including his brief presence in Kolkata) place him atop the WTC charts, a staggering tally built alongside an unrelenting run of cricket across continents and formats. Since the start of the England tour alone, Gill has carried a workload rare even in this era of cricketing excess:
- England tour - 754 runs
- Asia Cup - 127 runs
- West Indies Tests - 192 runs
- Australia (ODI + T20) - 175 runs
All this while taking over India's Test and ODI captaincy, inheriting administrative responsibilities that often run parallel to the cricket itself. He admitted, ahead of this very Test in Kolkata, that the schedule has stretched him. "I'm still trying to figure out how to balance playing across three formats... Since the Asia Cup, it's been a packed schedule - playing back-to-back matches and switching formats regularly. I'm still learning what works best for me," he said.
It echoed a reflection he shared before the Delhi Test against the West Indies - quiet signs that the mental fatigue was real, even if the runs kept coming.
Gill calls Eden Gardens a "home away from home," but on Friday it was a place where he looked vulnerable for the first time in months. If the neck spasm turns out to be a minor setback, India will breathe easy. But there are no assurances of his returning for the second innings as yet. Either way, Kolkata marked a pause - a reminder that even the players who rarely stop sometimes must.
India Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team