Shubman Gill defies all odds with miraculous recovery, bats for 1 hour to raise hopes of playing vs Pakistan

The moment Team India touched down in Ahmedabad on Thursday, ahead of their highly anticipated World Cup 2023 match against Pakistan on Saturday (October 14), they were dealt a severe blow.Shubman Gill, who tested positive for dengue illness and missed the first two World Cup matches, returned to the nets after a more than week-long absence. 

After defeating Afghanistan on Wednesday, the rest of the Indian cricket team took the day off, with Gill being the only player to train on Thursday in Ahmedabad. After taking the aircraft from Chennai on Wednesday night, Gill arrived in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning, along with the other Indian cricket players.

Gill used the Narendra Modi Stadium nets for throwdowns for approximately sixty minutes. Although this is encouraging for Team India, it is still unclear if he will be available for selection for Sunday's match against Pakistan.

Gill's recuperation has gone far more quickly than anticipated. Only on Monday night was he released from a Chennai hospital, where he had been taken on Sunday due to a decrease in platelet count.

After contracting dengue, it usually takes a person at least 10–12 days to recuperate before they can resume strenuous activity. Gill did not go to Delhi for India's match against Afghanistan, reportedly suffering from a high fever as soon as the squad arrived in Chennai on October 4.

Will Shubman Gill participate in India's World Cup 2023 match against Pakistan?

Doctor Rizwan of the Indian team is keeping a careful eye on him. However, Gill's recuperation is doing well because he was permitted to bat for nearly an hour as early as Thursday. This dispels any question regarding his availability for India's October 19 match against Bangladesh in Pune. Gill appears certain to play in that match, with seven days remaining until it takes place.

Indeed, there is a chance that he may play against Pakistan on Saturday after his impressive batting performance on Thursday. The administration of the Indian squad would not want to jeopardise their first-ever opener, thus the chances of it are still minimal.

Ishan Kishan has started the batting for India against Australia and Afghanistan in Gill's absence. In his World Cup debut, he was out for a golden duck, but against Afghanistan, he scored an easy run-a-ball forty-seven. Unless Gill's incredible recuperation continues, he will open against Pakistan with captain Rohit Sharma.

In contrast, India has had a fantastic start to the World Cup. They defeated Australia by seven wickets in Chennai, and they then dispatched 273 in only 35 overs against Afghanistan in a dominant display.

India, who are presently ranked second in the points standings, will play Pakistan, who have also won their first two games in the competition, the second of which they achieved by successfully chasing the highest score in World Cup history.