Cuttack, Dec 9 (NationPress) Shubman Gill, who serves as India’s vice captain for the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, expressed that he feels ‘absolutely fine’ as he prepares to return to international cricket following a recovery from a neck injury.

Gill faced a neck injury during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata last month, leading him to undergo rehabilitation before receiving clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. After India secured a 2-1 victory in the ODI series against South Africa on Saturday, head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed Gill’s fitness for the five-match T20I series.

The 26-year-old was subsequently included in the playing XI for the series opener, where he is set to open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma and assist in leadership duties as the deputy to skipper Suryakumar Yadav.

In an interview with Murali Kartik, part of the commentary team for the series, Gill shared his mental readiness for the challenges ahead. “My body feels absolutely fine. I spent some time at the CoE and I am feeling great, both physically and mentally,” Gill mentioned.

When Kartik inquired about his condition and the specifics of his neck injury, which sidelined him from the Indian team for nearly a month, he explained, “I experienced a disc bulge in my neck that was affecting my nerves. Initially, I had a spasm before the morning play, and during the match, I strained my neck, leading to the bulge. I had to spend a couple of days in the hospital but managed to recover promptly.”

Regarding the match itself, South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first. Unfortunately, Gill was unable to make an impact on his return, scoring just four runs from two balls. After hitting Lungi Ngidi for a four off his first delivery, the Protea pacer dismissed him on the next ball, leaving India at 5-1 just three balls into the match.