'After-Effects Of Dengue' - Gill Cites Cramps Behind Interrupted Wankhede Knock
Shubman Gill retired hurt with cramps (Twitter)
As he has done since his comeback, Shubman Gill was batting in absolute control and command for his unbeaten 79 until the 23rd over of his innings in the ICC World Cup 2023 semifinal against New Zealand. The prodigious young talent was looking increasingly set for his maiden hundred of the tournament before he entered a mid-over medical break.
That break eventually proved to be an unforeseen interruption for a lengthy period to his great stint at the crease as the 24-year-old was seen walking off the Wankhede turf with extensive cramps alongside the Indian physio.
Gill did come back for the final bits of the Indian innings to add one more run to his knock but the concerns remained about his injuries even as he fielded valiantly in the second half and produced some critical saves during a threatening Kane Williamson-Daryl Mitchell partnership.
Gill Reveals Dengue-Effect Caused Him Cramps
Speaking to the media in the post-match press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday (November 15), Gill explained the cramps by citing it as one of the after-effects of dengue, which had caused him to miss the beginning of India's campaign and led to a dip in his weight and muscle strength.
Having earlier revealed he is still recovering "4-5 kgs of weight" from the bout with sickness, Gill said:
"It started with cramps and then I pulled my hamstring a little bit. It was quite humid and just the after-effects of dengue."
The elegant right-hander missed the opening two matches of the campaign against Australia and Afghanistan and even though he has made his 350 runs in eight innings since at a strike-rate of 108.02, self-admittedly there have been issues felt on the powerhitting front.
"I have honestly not really adjusted anything in terms of my batting but because I have lost a bit of muscle mass, I think the reserve that I used to have before the dengue has decreased a little bit."
"You do get cramps when you're playing in humid conditions, but for me [it] happens after a long period of time, not so soon. But because I think I've lost a bit of muscle mass; the reserve has gone down a bit," Gill added.
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