Shubman Gill ruled out of remainder of first Test against South Africa due to neck injury
Kolkata (PTI): India captain Shubman Gill was on Sunday ruled out of the remainder of the opening Test against South Africa here due to a neck injury.
The BCCI gave the update before start of day three.
Gill had suffered a neck injury while batting on the second day of the first Test here and was retired hurt on 4 not out.
“Captain Shubman Gill had a neck injury on Day 2 of the ongoing Test against South Africa in Kolkata. He was taken to the hospital for examination after the end of day's play,” the team management said in a statement.
“He is currently under observation in the hospital. He will take no further part in the Test match. He will continue to be monitored by the BCCI medical team,” it added.
Gill was stretchered into an ambulance to be admitted to a hospital here on Saturday evening with his neck immobilised, hours after retiring hurt in India’s first innings.
The Indian captain felt pain in his neck immediately after executing a sweep for four off South Africa spinner Simon Harmer, and had left the field after receiving some initial treatment from the team’s medical staff.
Vice-captain Rishabh Pant, who led India during Gill's absence on Saturday, would continue to lead the team for the remaining match.
India’s assistant coach Morne Morkel blamed it on bad night's "sleep and not his workload”.
"Yeah, I think we first need to determine how he got the neck stiffness, maybe just a bad night's sleep. I don't think it's, or we can put it down to the (work) load,” Morkel told the media after day two.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
