SportsPosted at: Sep 26 2026 6:15PM


Gill fit for first West Indies ODI after elbow scare: Kotak

Thiruvananthapuram, Sept 26 (UNI) India captain Shubman Gill has been cleared to lead from the front in Sunday's opening ODI against the West Indies after batting coach Sitanshu Kotak allayed fears over the elbow injury he sustained in practice.
Gill was hit on his right elbow by a sharply rising Mohammed Siraj delivery during Friday's training session and required treatment for nearly 20 minutes. The captain, however, returned to the nets and resumed batting, with Kotak confirming he was fit to play.
“I think he is fine and good to go,” Kotak said at the pre-match press conference here on Saturday.
With Gill's availability settled, India's bigger selection dilemma centres on the wealth of batting options, particularly Yashasvi Jaiswal, who continues to wait for opportunities despite his strong performances.
Kotak acknowledged Jaiswal's quality but said competition for places was an inevitable consequence of India's depth.
“Jaiswal is obviously, we all know he is one of the best and whenever he gets an opportunity, he performs,” he said.
Responding to questions over Jaiswal's limited opportunities, Kotak compared the situation to having several top wicketkeepers competing for one place.
“It is not that it has been unfair to him. I just think it is part of the game,” he said, adding that the support staff continued to work with Jaiswal on his skills, practice and mindset.
“So far, whenever the team needed him, he got an opportunity, he has performed,” Kotak said.
The coach also underlined Ravindra Jadeja's enduring value to India's ODI setup, describing the veteran all-rounder as a player whose experience remains difficult to replace.
Jadeja returns to the ODI squad while Axar Patel is involved with India's T20I side at the Asian Games in Japan.
Kotak, however, left the final combination to the selectors and team management.
“I am not part of the selection panel. So, I don't know what their thinking is,” he said.
Calling Jadeja an “outstanding all-rounder”, Kotak pointed to his ability to contribute with both bat and ball as well as his fielding.
“He bowls, bats and the experience he has, because I actually firmly believe that experience is something you cannot beat,” he said.
Drawing a parallel with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Kotak said senior players bring an element of experience that remains important in a high-level international side.
“Jadeja is also one of them and he is obviously a very useful member of the team,” he said.
India open their three-match ODI series against the West Indies at the Greenfield International Stadium here on Sunday, with Gill's fitness concerns now eased and the focus shifting to India's final playing combination.
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