Gill heads to CoE hoping for T20I clearance

Shubman Gill is on the way to recovery, with optimism about his availability for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. The first of five T20Is is in Cuttack on December 9. If all goes well, the India Test and ODI skipper—who is vice-captain for T20Is—could assemble with the team in Bhubaneswar.

As of Monday, Gill is expected at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru to begin rehab for his neck injury. Currently, there is more than a 50 percent chance the CoE will clear him to resume international cricket, which he has missed since the second day of the first Test in Kolkata last month.

After leaving the Indian team in Guwahati, Gill consulted specialists in Mumbai for his neck spasms before heading home to Chandigarh for personal rehab. On Monday, he set out for Bengaluru.

The spasms during the Eden Test ruled him out of the two Tests and the three-match ODI series against South Africa. The T20I squad is expected to be selected in the coming days, and he may be cleared for the matches.

Sources say Gill has worked intensely on his recovery and is eager to return. "The captain has put in a lot of hard work during the rehab process. It is up to the CoE now," a source said. "If everything goes according to plan, he should be in Cuttack by December 6-7, when the T20I squad is expected to assemble."

Jasprit Bumrah, rested for the ongoing ODIs, is expected to return for the T20I series. The selectors and team management are using him judiciously, and sources indicate he will be back for the T20 series, where his workload will be limited to bowling four overs per match.

After the opening T20I in Cuttack, the remaining games will be played in New Chandigarh (December 11), Dharamsala (December 14), Lucknow (December 17), and Ahmedabad (December 19).