Shubman Gill Excluded from Final T20I Against South Africa Due to Injury

Shubman Gill Out with Foot Injury

Shubman Gill, the vice-captain of India's T20I team, has been ruled out of the fifth T20I match against South Africa due to a foot injury. The injury occurred when he took a hit to his right foot while practicing in the nets on December 16 in Lucknow. Although he is showing signs of improvement, he will not be available for the final T20I scheduled in Ahmedabad, as confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), according to reports.

Toss Update: South Africa to Bowl First

In the fifth T20I at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, South Africa's captain Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to field first against India. Currently, India leads the five-match T20 series 2-1, following the cancellation of the fourth match in Lucknow due to heavy fog. Jasprit Bumrah has replaced Harshit Rana in the lineup, and Sanju Samson has been brought in to take Gill's place.

Captains' Remarks

Markram stated, "We are opting to bowl first. The pitch appears to have some dew, which should help the ball come onto the bat better later on. With the World Cup approaching, we have several matches ahead, and we aim to conclude this tour positively. Linde replaces Nortje in our squad."

On the other hand, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed a preference to bat first, saying, "The pitch looks promising, and we anticipate no dew. We aim to set a challenging score. The stadium feels nearly full, and while the series is at stake, our focus is on enjoying the game and expressing ourselves. Bumrah comes in for Harshit, and Washi replaces Kuldeep, while Gill's injury allows Sanju to step in."

Playing XIs

South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman.

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.