“I am four kilos down from dengue” – Shubman Gill reveals his struggles for recovery in the World Cup after smashing 92 against Sri Lanka.

Team India opener Shubman Gill recently disclosed that he is still on the path to regaining full fitness after battling a bout of dengue, an illness that sidelined him for India’s initial two 2023 World Cup matches. Gill mentioned that he has endured a weight loss of four kilos as a consequence of the illness.

In the lead-up to India’s encounter with Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 2, Gill had faced a challenging period with the bat, posting scores of 16, 53, 26, and 9. However, against Sri Lanka, the 24-year-old opener found his form and delivered a run-a-ball innings of 92.

During an interview with the host broadcaster following the match, Gill candidly discussed his ongoing recovery from dengue, stating, “[I am] not in full fitness. I am four kilos down from dengue, in terms of mass and muscle weight.”

Reflecting on his impressive performance against Sri Lanka, Gill expressed his intent to apply pressure on the Sri Lankan bowlers. He explained, “The odd ball was seaming, and I hit the ball in my areas. You couldn’t get into a shell. I looked to put pressure on the bowlers. I felt in the previous matches I got starts except the last one. We thought about rotating the strike today. I honestly don’t think it was a 400 wicket. We batted well to get 350.”

Gill’s remarkable innings featured 11 boundaries and two sixes, ultimately culminating in an unfortunate dismissal just eight runs short of what would have been his first ODI World Cup century. His attempt to ramp a short delivery from left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka led to an edge that was comfortably pouched by the wicketkeeper.