India lead the five-match series 2-1 and the contest in Ahmedabad on Friday will be their last assignment for the calendar year.
India captain Shubman Gill was on Friday released from the Test squad ahead of the second match against South Africa starting Saturday.
Gaganjeet Bhullar successfully defended his title at the IGPL Invitational Chandigarh, overcoming a four-shot deficit to claim his fourth IGPL victory.
Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes Shubman Gill's injury during the South Africa T20I series earlier this month was the moment when India's World Cup opening combination became clear.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar identified Shubman Gill's recent lack of runs and combination compulsions as reasons for his omission from India's squad for the T20 World Cup.
Indian ODI and Test skipper Gill recently suffered a significant setback after being dropped from the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and the New Zealand T20I series due to fitness and form concerns.
Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing first Test against South Africa after he continues to be under observation in a Kolkata hospital for a neck injury.
With the India and South Africa T20I series levelled 1-1, focus shifts to Gill's form ahead of the third T20 on Sunday in Dharamsala.
Though Shubman Gill travelled with the Indian team to Guwahati on Wednesday, his injury is unlikely to heal in time ahead of the second Test, which begins on Saturday.
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
'I'll tell you one thing straight away, that trust me, these two guys are going to win matches in World Cup (in February-March) and in this series as well.'
Gill back in full flow, Hardik opts out of practice ahead of SA T20I series
Gill, too, has found the going tough. The opener has scored 263 runs in 14 T20Is this year, without a single fifty.
All-rounder Axar Patel was named vice-captain of the squad, which also saw the return of in-form Ishan Kishan, who pipped Jitesh Sharma as the second wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson.
'You have a lot of options if you want to see. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill and you can open with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad...'
The controversial decision to select Shubman Gill in place of a well-settled Sanju Samson as the opener has backfired for the Indian team so far.
Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed that T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill is "ready to start" ahead of the first T20I against South Africa of the five-match series, which will take place on December 9.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta feels that India's T20I vice-captain Shubham Gill, who is currently struggling to get going in the shortest format, has to play a similar role what Virat Kohli did for so long by consistently holding on to one end.
Ahead of the fourth T20I at Carrara Oval in Queensland, Coach Gautam Gambhir was spotted in a long conversation with Shubman Gill during India's training session.
Out-of-form India vice-captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the last two T20I games against South Africa with a toe injury, sources close to the team told PTI.
With India set to name their T20 World Cup 2026 squad on Saturday in Mumbai, the spotlight has firmly shifted to Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, whose recent struggles have turned the selection meeting into a high-stakes call.
Shubman Gill was ruled out of the second Test against South Africa and the recently concluded three-match ODI series due to a neck injury.
Asked about losing yet another toss, Gill quipped, 'I think the only toss that I'm going to win is hopefully in the WTC finals.'
Two-time Asian Games champion shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor is set to compete in the Indian Open Throws Competition in Patiala, aiming to evaluate his form ahead of major events like the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
Kerala Blasters FC secured a 1-1 draw against East Bengal FC in an Indian Super League match, with Muhammad Ajsal scoring a late equaliser after Youssef Ezzejjari had given East Bengal the lead.
Skipper Shubman Gill, who missed the second Test due to a neck injury, struck a defiant tone of unity and resolve after India's 0-2 series loss to South Africa, saying the team would "rise stronger" despite the setback.
'Gill is recovering really well, it's a speedy recovery.'
An American lawmaker has voiced concern over the 'Islamisation' of areas in certain constituencies in the US state of Texas, saying visiting local malls there 'feels like you're in Pakistan, not Dallas.'
The pitch, left unwatered for nearly a week, appeared dry and brown with faint traces of grass, conditions that could bring reverse swing and variable bounce into play later in the match.
India's T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill will be reporting at Bengaluru's Centre of Excellence on Monday for his mandatory fitness assessment protocols, which will determine his return to action for the upcoming five-match series against South Africa starting December 9.
Bumrah Workload: With focus on 2027 World Cup, pace spearhead to play more ODIs than T20Is
"Gill should cement his place at the top order in T20": Irfan Pathan
Google CEO Sundar Pichai, an avid cricket fan, had a memorable fan boy moment as he carried the ICC T20 World Cup alongside his childhood idol Sunil Gavaskar.
Aman Raj, after battling injuries, takes a commanding lead at the IGPL season-opener in Chandigarh, with Gaganjeet Bhullar trailing behind.
Young Indian athlete Lokesh Sathyanathan won the gold medal in the men's long jump at the NCAA Indoor Championships, setting a new indoor national record.
Shubman Gill had suffered a neck injury on the second day of the first Test in Kolkata and had to be hospitalised for a couple days.
India captain Shubman Gill has been discharged from the hospital in which he was receiving treatment for a neck injury sustained during the opening Test against South Africa in Kolkata.
Shubman Gill is set to make a comeback during the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting in Cuttack, on December 9.
Wildcard entrant Manas Dhamne's impressive run at the Maha Open ATP Challenger came to an end after losing to Duje Ajdukovic in the quarterfinals. Other players including Edas Butvilas, Felix Gill, and Federico Cina advanced to the semifinals.
Shubman's T20I series participation against South Africa doubtful; Samson, Jaiswal contenders for the slot
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