IND vs SA: Nitish Reddy strong candidate for Guwahati if Gill fails to recover in time
Indian captain Shubman Gill remains a doubtful participant in his side’s second Test against South Africa, set to start in Guwahati on November 22.
Gill suffered a neck spasm during India’s defeat in the series opener in Kolkata. He batted just three balls in the first innings on Saturday before retiring out and took no further part in the game.
The 26-year-old was later admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata and was kept under observation before being discharged late on Sunday.
Indian coach Gautam Gambhir had confirmed on Sunday that Gill’s situation was still under assessment.
Gill’s potential absence could throw up a fresh selection dilemma for India heading into the must-win Guwahati Test.
While top-order batters Sai Sudharsan, who was dropped for the first Test, and Devdutt Padikkal appear to be the straightforward replacement options, their addition could prove to be disadvantageous for the team.
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In Kolkata, India fielded six left-handed batters in the XI – for the first time in its Test history – thereby elevating the threat of Proteas off-spinner Simon Harmer.
Harmer was irrepressible against the Indian southpaws. Six of his eight wickets from the Test were of left-handers.
With the Harmer threat looming, Padikkal and Sudharsan’s left-handedness will likely work against them.
This could mean a return for all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was released from the squad for the first Test and is currently with the India A team for its 50-over series against South Africa A.
Nitish was already set to rejoin the team in Guwahati and now could walk back into the team, in Gill’s absence, after being left out in favour of the in-form Dhruv Jurel for the Kolkata Test.
If Gill is to miss out, it would be expected for Jurel to bat at No.4, meaning Nitish would slot in the lower middle order, helping India break its sequence of left-handed batters down the lineup – Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
Nitish’s cause would be enhanced by the fact that the Barsapara Stadium, in Guwahati, has traditionally favoured pacers more than spinners in First-Class cricket.
In 37 FC games at the venue, starting from 2013, pacers average just 27.81, while spinners average 31.83.
With Nitish, India can have a third pace-bowling option, alongside lead seamers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, without compromising on its batting depth.
Published on Nov 17, 2025
