There may be over a month's time left for the scheduled start of the five-Test series against England, but the Indian team has potentially received a setback already.
Indian opener Shubman Gill is likely to miss the first Test of the series due to an 'internal injury', according to a report on Cricbuzz. The exact nature and place of the injury are not known yet.
However, the report says that Gill was carrying the injury for some time and that it aggravated recently. Gill was in India's playing XI in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand, which was played between 18-23 June.
In Gill's absence, it is likely that Team India will turn to one of the other two openers in the squad; Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul, to start with Rohit Sharma. Both the openers were not a part of the 15-member squad for the WTC Final.
Team India is currently on a 20-day break after the final, where they faced an 8-wicket defeat. The squad will assemble in Durham on July 14, where the players will begin preparation for the England series.
The BCCI has requested the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to arrange for a tour game, but there has been no official confirmation for the same yet.
Meanwhile, India's limited-overs side, led by Shikhar Dhawan, reached Sri Lanka earlier this week to prepare for the three-match ODI and T20I series, which begins on July 13. Rahul Dravid has travelled with the side as coach.
