Shubman Gill fit to play Sunday's ODI against West Indies, confirms batting coach

There is relief for Team India fans over captain Shubman Gill's fitness. The first match of the ODI series between India and West Indies is to be played at Greenfield International Stadium on Sunday, and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has made it clear that Gill has no serious injury. According to Kotak, the captain is fully fit to play in this match.

During practice on Friday, a rising delivery from fast bowler Mohammed Siraj had struck Gill on his right shoulder, injuring him. He was treated on the field for around 20 minutes. After treatment, Gill returned to the nets and faced throwdowns. At the pre-match press conference, Kotak told reporters that he felt Gill was fine and ready to play.

The three-match ODI series between India and West Indies will be played on 27 September, 30 September and 3 October. This will be followed by a five-match T20 series from 6 to 17 October.

At the press conference, Kotak also spoke about growing internal competition within the team. Responding to repeated questions about team selection, he mentioned opening batter Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has often found himself on the bench despite impressive performances across formats. Jaiswal has had to stay out of the team for long stretches because of the presence of Gill and Rohit Sharma. Kotak said he felt competition within the team had increased and that several players were performing reliably, with something similar happening with Jaiswal. He added that despite this, Jaiswal's batting skills, his practice and his mental approach were being closely monitored, and the coaches kept talking to him. But if a team has three good wicketkeepers, only one of them gets a chance. Kotak said the same was currently happening with Jaiswal, and that this was part of the game.

Kotak also spoke about the role of experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in white-ball cricket, as Jadeja has returned to the ODI squad while Axar Patel is unavailable for the T20 team because of the 2026 Asian Games. Kotak said he felt Jadeja was a strong contender for a place in the team. Jadeja had played when Axar was rested during the South Africa series. Describing Jadeja as an outstanding all-rounder, Kotak said his past record spoke for itself. He said how the team is built, and what combination the selection committee, the captain and the head coach choose, was a separate matter, but the right time would come for Jadeja. Kotak also said he considered Jadeja one of the best fielders in the world.