India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill has put an end to speculation about his fitness by stepping onto the field for a solo practice session at the ICC Academy. Having missed the net session on Wednesday night, rumors swirled regarding his health. However, Gill trained rigorously for over two hours on Thursday, accompanied by throwdown specialists Raghu and Nuwan, along with assistant coach Abhishek Nayar.

The Indian squad had a scheduled rest day on Thursday, following an intense training session the previous night, where notable absentees included Gill and captain Rohit Sharma. Rohit’s omission from batting practice has further fueled concerns about his hamstring injury, sustained while fielding during the high-stakes clash against Pakistan last Sunday. Reports suggest that the team management may opt to rest him for the upcoming match against New Zealand to ensure his availability for the crucial semifinal on March 5 and a potential final on March 9.

Team India will return to the nets on Friday but will skip practice on Saturday, the day before their final group-stage fixture. Meanwhile, KL Rahul is set to address the media on Friday evening. New Zealand, on the other hand, will train on both Friday and Saturday.

With both India and New Zealand securing their spots in the semifinals, their March 2 encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) will be more about determining the knockout fixtures rather than qualification. The winner of this match will face the second-best team from Group B, where Afghanistan, Australia, and South Africa are still in contention for a place in the final four.