CWC: From being hospitalised to getting 99% match-ready, here's how Shubman Gill got fit in time

Rohit Sharma announcing on the game eve that Shubman Gill is 99% match-ready cheered the whole cricket-loving nation up, but there was still something to read between the lines. The young batter, perhaps in the best form, was down with dengue fever ahead of India’s warm-up matches, remaining out of contention ever since. In the past week, Gill got hospitalised in Chennai, travelled to Ahmedabad, regained fitness, and played the match against Pakistan and ended up on the winning side.

But how did he get fit so early and return to the side for the marquee World Cup clash? As per the latest reports, his treatment at the Kauvery Hospital in Chennai should be credited for the same.

Going back toRohit’s comments on Gill on the eve of the Pakistan match, Shubman was 100% fit, but the captain and the team management were concerned about things going wrong or a relapse of fever on the match-day, thus sticking with 99% claim instead of declaring him fit.

The bigger question at that point was how Gill would be able to endure 100 overs on the field, having recovered from the fever very recently. The right-handed batter had two days – Thursday and Friday to get back to the ground and prepare for the game.

From getting hospitalised to playing against Pakistan – Gill’s timeline

As first reported by Cricbuzz, Dr Sivarama Kannan - the physician responsible for Gill's speedy recovery, explained what happened behind the scenes and how he managed to recover so quickly.

"A young person, an athlete, usually recovers well. He was fully cooperative and attentive. He obliged to whatever we said," the doctor said.

"He came on the evening of the India-Australia match (October 8) and went back to the hotel the next evening. We had our male nurse, one person stationed there to give him timely injections and IV fluids,” the doctor added.

"He came to us on the second day of his illness... We didn't allow his body temperature to rise. We continuously administered medication to ensure that the fever didn't escalate, and we maintained his hydration to prevent the disease from taking hold."

"When the platelet count dropped below 50,000-60,000, we decided to admit him to the hospital. This was during India's match against Australia. The next morning, his platelet count dropped further, but by Monday evening, it began to increase, so we shifted him back to the hotel,” he added.

On Wednesday, Gill’s platelet count surpassed 100,000, which is when Dr. Kannan, discharged him.

"The following day, Tuesday, October 10, his platelet count increased, and it continued to rise on the subsequent day. By Wednesday morning, I informed him that he was fit to travel as his count had gone beyond one lakh. That afternoon, he left for Ahmedabad,” the doctor detailed.

Gill joined the Indian Team in Ahmedabad on Wednesday and trained for two days before the team management decided to play him at the last moment.

Gill scored four fours in his 11-ball 16-run-stay at the crease before he got caught in the point region.

India will next face Bangladesh in Pune on Thursday (Oct 19).

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