Concerns about Shubman Gill’s health have been allayed as he was seen practicing at the ICC Academy. The Indian vice-captain, who had previously missed a team practice session, conducted a solo practice, leading to speculation about his well-being.
However, on Thursday afternoon, Gill attended the ICC facility and engaged in practice for over two hours. He was supported by team throwdown specialists Raghu and Nuwan, along with assistant coach Abhishen Nayar. India’s upcoming Champions Trophy match is against New Zealand on Sunday, March 2nd, at DICS.
The Indian team had an off-day on Thursday. On Wednesday night, the team held a comprehensive three-hour practice session, notably without Gill and Rohit Sharma, who also opted out of batting practice.
Following a hamstring injury sustained while fielding during Pakistan’s innings last Sunday, there has been discussion about Rohit potentially missing the next game. This precaution would be to prevent further injury before critical matches – the semifinal on Tuesday, March 2nd, and potentially the final on March 9th.
The Indian team has announced practice sessions for Friday but will skip practice on Saturday, the day before their final league match. KL Rahul is scheduled to address the media on Friday evening. New Zealand is scheduled to practice on both Friday and Saturday. Thursday was also a rest day for the Blackcaps.
Both India and New Zealand have already secured semifinal spots with two wins each in Group A, eliminating Pakistan and Bangladesh. Consequently, the result of their match on March 2nd will not affect their semifinal qualification but will be important for determining the final semifinal pairings. The winner of this match will face the second-ranked team from Group B, where Afghanistan, Australia, and South Africa are vying for the two semifinal positions.
