Shubman Gill, who had dengue the day before the match against Pakistan, was actually 100 percent fit when Rohit Sharma said he was “99 percent” ready to play. The team management was worried that something would go wrong or that the fever might come back the day of the game. Consequently, the skipper had made a little allowance for a possible last-minute modification. The final choice was decided on Saturday at the venue, right before the game. the team management had a cautious optimism regarding his availability.
Gill ability to withstand 100 fielding overs was the main worry. The fact that he only had two days to prepare, specifically Thursday and Friday, before the game on Saturday, was the second cause for concern. The management thought he was doing well in the nets, though. The ultimate choice was still put off until the very last second.
The Kauvery Hospital in Chennai, where he spent a night before having his room transformed into a temporary clinic with a nurse on duty, received positive reviews from the team management over how he was handled there. He was fed a healthy diet, with papaya being especially important for strength and energy conservation. Gill was treated by Dr. Sivarama Kannan, who was in charge of ensuring his quick recovery and return to the field.
Young people and athletes typically heal quickly. He was extremely helpful and focused. The doctor remarked of the young Indian opener, “He complied with everything we asked of him. He arrived the evening of the October 8 India-Australia game and left for the hotel the following night. One of our male nurses was stationed there to administer timely injections and IV fluids to the patient.
The doctor described Gill’s course of treatment, stating that “he came to us on the second day of his sickness… His body temperature wasn’t allowed to rise.
We regularly gave him medicine to keep the fever from rising, and we kept him hydrated to stop the illness from taking hold.
“We made the decision to admit him to the hospital when the platelet count fell below 50,000-60,000. This occurred when India was playing Australia. His platelet count continued to decline the following morning, but by Monday night, it had started to rise, so we returned him to the hotel.
Dr. Kannan, who, coincidentally, also handles N Srinivasan, the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), discharged him after the platelet count increased and reached 100,000. “His platelet count increased the next day, Tuesday, October 10, and it continued to grow the next day. By Wednesday morning, I had told him that he was good to go because his count had surpassed 100,000. He departed that afternoon for Ahmedabad.
Gill only managed to score 16 runs off 11 balls, all of which were boundaries, before being dismissed by an aggressive shot. The good news was that he played fielding throughout Pakistan’s innings, which lasted 42.5 overs, without displaying any signs of pain. Most significantly, he showed a willingness to play, and that can only be helpful for the Indian squad.