Shubman Gill buries Champions Trophy fear for New Zealand clash; skips rest day for private Dubai net session

According to a report in the Times of India, the two-time champions had an off day on Thursday after the players had met at the training ground on the previous day for the first time since their win against Pakistan last week. However, Gill chose to hone his skills before the big game as he had an “informal training session” at the ICC Academy. While the report failed to confirm if other players were present, it added that Gill was accompanied by throwdown specialists and a few other support staff members.

“Shubman Gill trained with members of the support staff for an informal session. Since it wasn’t an official training day, it looks like a personal session. But it wasn’t a marathon one and took place in the afternoon hours,” a well placed source told the newspaper.

Gill skipped training on Wednesday

The youngster has been one of India’s in-form batters in the tournament, having notched up a century in the opening game in Dubai last week against Bangladesh, a knock that saw him rise to the top of the ICC ODI batting rankings. He consolidated his spot with a valiant 52-ball 46 against Pakistan last Sunday.

However, as the Indian team assembled on Wednesday for the first time since the Pakistan game, Gill was the only player missing. It instantly sparked injury fears before the match against the Black Caps, who stand top of the Group A table after beating Bangladesh and Pakistan. The report added that Gill will be part of India’s training on Friday, their last before the New Zealand match.

All eyes will be on India captain Rohit Sharma, who did not indulge in much physical activity on Wednesday and instead focused on some light jogging. It was reported that he incurred a hamstring problem during the game against Pakistan.