Shubman Gill appeared in pain after being struck on the elbow by a Siraj delivery and received medical attention before returning to face throwdowns | X 
Cricket

Shubman Gill hit by Siraj delivery on elbow, suffers injury scare ahead of West Indies ODI

Gill’s elbow scare came during India’s training session, while Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also batted together ahead of the West Indies ODI

India captain Shubman Gill suffered an injury scare during Friday's training session after a rising delivery from Mohammed Siraj struck him on the elbow ahead of the first ODI against West Indies.

Gill appeared to be in pain after being hit and received medical attention for close to 20 minutes. The right-hander later returned to the nets and faced throwdowns before India wrapped up the session.

The incident comes just ahead of the ODI opener, with Gill set to lead India in the series.

Kohli, Rohit share nets

Earlier in the session, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were seen batting together at adjacent nets. Kohli had missed India's previous ODI assignment against Afghanistan.

The two senior batters spent nearly 20 minutes facing a mix of Indian teammates and local net bowlers and looked comfortable during the session.

India bowling coach Morne Morkel also spoke about the experience within the squad and the role senior players can play in helping the younger members.

"I must say that Shubman has done an exceptional job so far leading the team. But I'm always a big believer in your senior players and how they shape the team. I think different players in the team will feel more comfortable speaking to a certain senior individual.

"And we're quite fortunate that we've got a lot of experience and conversations, and that can only be great for the team. So, yeah, we're quite fortunate that we've got that experience with the senior players."

Morkel wants youngsters to interact with seniors

Morkel said the management is making a conscious effort to give younger players opportunities to learn from the experienced members of the squad.

"For us, it's just to keep challenging the guys to have conversations with the senior guys. We always throw up as many questions as possible in team meetings for the senior guys to speak and share their experience.

"But the challenge is sometimes to ask a younger guy, while batting in the nets, to speak to Rohit about what is important when facing the new ball.

"So, yeah, the more opportunities we can create for conversations with these guys, the better it is for us," he added.

West Indies yet to train after arrival

The West Indies arrived in the city on September 23 but have not yet trained ahead of the series.

The team is also dealing with developments involving Cricket West Indies, which has announced a 25 per cent reduction in retainer fees as part of measures aimed at financial restructuring.

International players will retain their 12-month contracts, while domestic players will see their retainer contracts reduced to seven months.

"We appreciate the spirit of cooperation shown by the West Indies Players' Association and the players, who have demonstrated their understanding of the circumstances we all face," CWI chief executive Chris Dehring said in a statement.

"While not ideal, it is a necessary step towards financial stability," he added.

The cricketers here are understood to be in constant touch with the board and the players' association to verify the details.