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Team India captain Shubman Gill is unlikely to take part in the 2nd Test against South Africa in Guwahati after sustaining a neck injury during the recently concluded series opener at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Gill suffered a neck sprain while batting and had to leave the field after facing only three deliveries during India's first innings on Day 2.
The Indian skipper was admitted to a hospital for further treatment and was ruled out of the remainder of the Test match. He has reportedly been advised not to travel to Guwahati for the second Test, which gets underway on Saturday, December 22. India would be left with limited options for the number 4 spot ahead of the 2nd Test if Gill is ruled out of the game.
India have contenders within the squad to bat at no.4 in Gill's absence, but calls have been growing for the inclusion of Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been in red-hot form for India A and in the domestic circuit. India have the likes of Rishabh Pant and Sai Sudharsan, who can bat at no.4 if Gill fails to make the cut, however, many feel in-form Gaikwad can be an ideal solution.
Sudharsan, who was used as a no.3 during India's tour of England earlier this year, was left on the bench as the Indian team management surprisingly promoted Washington Sundar at no.3 in the first Test in Kolkata. Sundar didn't disappoint and was among the better batters for India with 60 runs in the two innings combined.
However, his efforts were not enough as India failed to chase down 124 in their second innings on Day 4 to suffer a crushing 30-run defeat in the match. If the team management decides to continue with Sundar at no.3, Sudharsan can replace Gill at no.4. Pant can also bat at no.4, with all-rounder Nitish Reddy returning to the lower middle order.
Gaikwad, who made his international debut for India in 2021, hasn't quite managed to cement his spot in the national team in any format. He was once a regular in T20Is, but was inexplicably excluded despite performing regularly in the shortest format. He has played 6 ODIs and 23 T20Is for India, but is yet to make his Test debut.
His inconsistent run in the IPL and the domestic circuit also didn't help his case, as Gaikwad struggled to regain his spot in the Indian team. However, he has been in top-notch form in the last few months, scoring runs across tournaments. Gaikwad has scored a century and a fifty in his last two appearances for India A in their ongoing one-day series against South Africa A.
Gaikwad has been unstoppable ever since smashing a brilliant 184 for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy in September this year. He scored back-to-back half-centuries for Maharashtra in their Ranji Trophy 2025-26 opener against Kerala and followed it up a century against Chandigarh in their next game.
Gaikwad scored a gritty 91 in Maharashtra's first innings against Kerala to rescue his team after a collapse in their opener against Kerala. He followed it up with an unbeaten 55 in the next innings to help his team secure a draw. He hammered a terrific 116-run knock against Chandigarh in the next game.
Gaikwad left the Maharashtra team to join the India A squad ahead of their ongoing one-day series against South Africa A earlier this month. He continued his purple patch with a magnificent 117-run knock against South Africa A in the one-day series opener before notching up an unbeaten 68 in the second one-day on Sunday.
The Maharashtra batter is considered one of the most technically solid batters in the Indian domestic circuit and has form on his side at present. Gaikwad can be an ideal replacement for Gill at number 4 if the Indian captain is ruled out of the 4th Test against South Africa.
Gaikwad has a strong game against both pace and spin, and his arrival might boost the current Indian batting line-up after their dismal show in the recently concluded series opener in Kolkata, where the hosts failed to chase down 124 runs in their second innings.
