Skip IPL if you want rest: Gambhir’s blunt warning to Shubman Gill revealed as Kolkata injury triggers debate
Shubman Gill’s nonstop schedule sparked workload concerns after his injury, but Gautam Gambhir dismissed the debate, saying Gill can skip IPL if he needs rest.
While the discussion had simmered through October, the Kolkata injury reignited the debate, and added fresh significance to it. Shubman Gill has been playing non-stop since the Asia Cup in September. Even as other players were rotated across formats, the 25-year-old, now T20I vice-captain and ODI captain, has featured in all four series over the past month. The workload eventually caught up with him when he suffered a neck spasm at Eden Gardens last week.
The injury, which ruled him out of the second and final Test against South Africa, a must-win for India to save the series, sparked renewed chatter about managing the workload of a captain who now plays all three formats.
However, India head coach Gautam Gambhir dismissed the idea of workload management. Speaking during Media Day ahead of the second Test, Aakash Chopra, a JioStar expert, revealed that when he asked Gambhir about the issue, the coach bluntly responded that Gill should “skip the IPL” if he needs rest.
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"I asked this question to Gautam before the Test match against the West Indies. His point was that if you need workload management, then skip the IPL. If you don't want to lead because leading the IPL team puts too much pressure, then don't lead. And while playing for India, if you are fit, you are not mentally fatigued," said Chopra.
And Chopra concurred with the thought, explaining that unless a player is experiencing mental burnout, they should continue playing as long as their form lasts.
"And as a batter, I can also second the opinion that when you are going through a good form, you really want to maximise. Because you never know when the bad form hits you and where the next one is going to come from.
So, if there is no fitness concern per se and if there is no mental burnout concern that is very individual-specific, you stay with them and you play as much as you can, as often as you can," he signed off.
Although the BCCI has yet to officially rule him out, Gill reportedly needs at least 10 days of rest before he can recover and be match-ready. India will hope he can recuperate in time for the ODI series against South Africa, which will begin on November 30, followed by a T20I series.
