Kolkata, Nov 14: Indian cricket captain Shubman Gill had to retire hurt after suffering a neck sprain during the second day of the first Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens. The incident occurred while he was attempting a slog sweep off bowler Simon Harmer. Gill faced only three balls before the injury forced him to leave the field.

In the 35th over, Gill managed to hit a four but appeared to experience a whiplash effect in his follow-through, immediately clutching his neck in pain. The team's physio quickly attended to him, and he walked off the field visibly distressed. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stated that Gill is being monitored and a decision regarding his further participation will be made based on his progress.

Before Gill's exit, India had already lost two wickets, with Washington Sundar dismissed for 29 runs and Yashasvi Jaiswal earlier out for a duck. At lunch, India was at 138 for 4, just 22 runs shy of surpassing South Africa's first-innings total of 159. Rishabh Pant was batting on 27 runs, having hit a few sixes, but was dismissed by pacer Corbin Bosch shortly after Gill's injury. The situation has shifted the momentum of the match, leaving India in a precarious position as they seek to recover from the loss of key players.