Colombo: Shubman Gill's injury scare alarms India ...

By Rohan Gupta — 6 August 2026 — 3 min read

India Test captain Shubman Gill experienced an injury scare during a training session in Colombo, raising concerns about his fitness as the team prepares for their World Test Championship campaign in Sri Lanka. Gill sustained two blows to his right hand during the intense session, which took place just a day before India’s three-day warm-up match against a Sri Lanka XI.

The first incident occurred in the nets when Gill was struck on his right thumb by a delivery from pacer Gurnoor Brar. The 26-year-old immediately sought attention from the team physio, Kamlesh Jain, who strapped his thumb. Despite the setback, Gill resumed batting and continued his preparations by facing spinners.

Training Session Incidents

The training session, held at Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC), was a three-hour affair focused on countering spin. On the second day of practice, the sequence of drills was altered, with players starting against spin rather than pace. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal were among those who faced spinners like Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Saransh Jain, and Manav Suthar.

Gill initially batted against fast bowlers for approximately 30-40 minutes before transitioning to face spinners alongside Devdutt Padikkal. Compared to the previous day, Gill focused more on his defence during this session. Padikkal’s footwork also showed improvement.

The worrying moments for Gill continued during a slip-catching drill later in the session. He was struck again on the same hand after failing to cleanly gather a sharp chance. Following this second blow, Gill briefly stepped away to apply an ice pack, which prompted further concern within the Indian camp.

However, initial medical assessments provided some relief, confirming that there was no fracture or serious damage to his hand. Gill was able to complete the remainder of the session without significant discomfort, indicating that the injury was not severe.

Importance of Gill’s Form and Fitness

Gill’s fitness is considered crucial for India’s upcoming 2025-27 World Test Championship campaign in Sri Lanka. The team aims to start the new cycle on a winning note, and Gill’s performance will be key to their aspirations.

The 26-year-old arrives in Sri Lanka in strong form, having accumulated 1,109 runs, including six centuries, in his last 10 Tests. This tour marks his first red-ball outing in Sri Lanka, making the warm-up fixture particularly important for him to adapt to the local conditions before the opening Test match on August 15.

Other players also participated actively in the practice session. Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant began with throwdowns before facing spinners, with Pant notably aggressive against net bowlers. Jurel had the longest batting session among all batters, continuing against local net bowlers after facing the main bowlers. Head coach Gautam Gambhir was observed interacting with players and assisting with throwdowns alongside batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, who was working with Rahul on sweep shots. Fielding coach Shubhadeep Ghosh led close-in fielding drills involving Gill, Rahul, Padikkal, and Jaiswal.

The session marked India’s final practice before their three-day warm-up match against SLC XI, for which the squad was announced earlier in the day.