Shubman Gill down with dengue, misses India's WC opener vs Australia as Rohit Sharma and Co. handed major blow

India captain Rohit Sharma did not want to rule him out, neither did head coach Rahul Dravid, but it was confirmed on Sunday, just moments before India's World Cup opener against Australia that Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Earlier on Friday, it was reported that Gill was unwell and suffering from dengue fever. And while Dravid and Rohit kept their fingers crossed over Gill's recovery, the opener did not travel with the team to the Chepauk ground on Sunday. (India vs Australia Live Score, World Cup 2023)

With the star batter missing out, it can cost India dearly in their World Cup campaign opener against Australia. India recently gained the upper hand over the five-time world champions at home, clinching the series 2-1, but Gill's absence in the first match against such a formidable side is a significant setback.

Gill has been in red-hot form this year for India across formats. In 20 ODIs, Gill has amassed 1230 runs, the most by a batter in 2023, at a stellar average of 72.35 and with five centuries. This includes a sparking double century against New Zealand, to go with half-centuries. While India have the reinforcements to fill in for an ill-Gill, not having the in-form opener for Sunday's contest promises to shake things up within the Indian camp.

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Given that dengue fever typically requires a maximum recovery period of seven days, and possibly more in the illness is severe, Gill might potentially miss India's second World Cup match against Afghanistan on October 11 as well. The management would want to ensure the star batter's full fitness for the crucial tie against Pakistan, which takes place at his preferred venue of Ahmedabad next Sunday.

It is worth noting that Gill was released from India's squad before the third ODI against Australia on September 27. Ahead of the press conference, Rohit Sharma mentioned that he had only 13 players to pick from as some players had returned home, while others were dealing with personal matters. Gill could well belong to the latter now that more developments have emerged. The opener was the only notable batter missing in India's first practice session at the Chepauk on Thursday.

Gill's illness marks the first real setback for India's World Cup campaign, adding to the list of challenges the team has encountered in past editions. In the 2019 World Cup, the team had to grapple with two injuries, with then-captain Kohli having to deal with the loss of Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar at different stages of the tournament. First, Dhawan fractured his left wrist, while Tamil Nadu all-rounder Shankar suffered a toe injury, paving the way for Rishabh Pant's inclusion in the squad.

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This move would not only grant India a left-right combination at the top of the order, a strategy that seasoned individuals like Ravi Shastri have emphasises, but propel Ishan back to the position from where he scored the fastest ODI double-century of all time against Bangladesh last year.

Ishan has been in remarkable form this year, scoring 409 runs in 13 innings with four fifties. His versatility in batting positions is evident, as he has delivered noteworthy performances. He scored a hat-trick of half-centuries – 52, 55, and 77 against West Indies while opening the batting. Later, his courageous innings of 82 against Pakistan in India's Asian Cup opener while batting at No. 5 further underlined his adaptability and batting prowess.