India captain Shubman Gill suffered a worrying injury scare during a training session in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, just two days before the opening ODI against West Indies.

Gill was batting in the nets against Mohammed Siraj when a rearing length delivery struck him on his right elbow. The India batter immediately walked away in pain, with the team’s physiotherapist rushing over to assess the injury. Siraj also checked on Gill, while Virat Kohli, who was batting in the adjacent net, came over to see how his teammate was doing.

Gill later sat down on the other side of the net while clutching his elbow. India’s support staff strapped the affected arm, and the captain spent the remainder of the training session recovering. He did not return to batting.

Despite the initial concern, Gill appeared to be in better spirits later in the session. He was seen joking with Gurnoor Brar and did not appear to be in significant discomfort when he eventually left the training area.

The injury comes with limited time for Gill to recover before India’s ODI series opener against West Indies on Sunday. The team will therefore be closely monitoring his condition ahead of the match.

Gill Had Already Faced an Injury Scare in Sri Lanka

This is not the first recent injury concern involving Gill. His previous India assignment also began with an injury cloud after he was struck on his ring finger while batting in the nets during India’s tour of Sri Lanka last month.

Gill was briefly sidelined but recovered in time to participate fully in India’s two-Test series.

The latest setback is particularly significant with Gill leading India in the ODI format and the team building towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.

India Continue to Manage Injury Concerns

Gill’s injury scare comes during a period when India have already dealt with several fitness issues.

During India’s T20I and ODI tour of England in July, the team was without several key players at different stages because of injuries. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar were among those affected, although Bumrah and Reddy have since returned.

Pandya and Rana remain sidelined, adding to India’s concerns about player workload and fitness.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia recently indicated that the board was examining the frequency of injuries among Indian players and looking at ways to reduce the problem.

Morkel Hopes India Can Move Past Injury Problems

India bowling coach Morne Morkel acknowledged the team’s injury concerns while speaking ahead of the first ODI.

“Obviously, you want to have your strongest and, condition-wise, the best XI on the field,” Morkel said.

He added that injuries are unfortunately part of professional sport but pointed to India’s depth as a positive.

Morkel said the team has “fantastic back-up in the wings”, giving players an opportunity to represent India and establish themselves.

He also expressed hope that India can get through the current injury issues before the later stages of the year.

For now, the major question surrounding India is Gill’s elbow. The captain had looked in good touch during Friday’s practice before being hit, and the team will assess his condition over the next 24 hours before making a decision on his availability for Sunday’s ODI.

With the first ODI against West Indies approaching quickly, Gill’s fitness will be one of the biggest talking points around the Indian team.