After going seven games winless, India, led by Shubman Gill, had their breakthrough in the first ODI against England. The upcoming clash at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff will be a chance for the visitors to secure the series in their favour.
India won the match held in Birmingham by six wickets and chased England’s total of 258 with four overs remaining. Shubman Gill led the chase with 80 runs off his bat before he went off the field with an injury. Following Gill, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel each scored half-centuries and pitched in with a total of 109 runs together.
In the 26th over, Gill struggled with cramps while batting and was retired hurt. This was not Shubman Gill’s first injury of sorts; the opening batter has had trouble with cramps and injuries in the past. During the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, he retired hurt at 79. Similar to this, he has had neck issues as well.
In 2024, due to his neck, he missed a T20I in Sri Lanka and a Test against New Zealand. The neck problems persisted even during the Test against South Africa in 2025, where he was retired hurt again. However, with Gill’s injury, concerns arose around his availability for the second ODI of the ongoing series. Much to the fans’ relief, however, Gill is reportedly all clear and is expected to feature for India in the second ODI against England.
Abhishek Nayar opened up on Shubman Gill’s recent red-hot form
Ahead of the second ODI, former India cricketer Abhishek Nayar also came forward and heaped massive praise on skipper Gill, claiming that he is playing like a man possessed and even compared his form to Virat Kohli’s earlier years in the Men in Blue.
“I was reminded of the time when Virat Kohli came into the team and reached his purple patch. It seemed like Virat Kohli would score runs whenever he batted. Shubhman Gill is looking just like that because he is looking flawless. It doesn't feel like he was having difficulty at any point, whether it was fast bowling or seam,” the former all-rounder said.
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