Gill was replaced in the playing eleven by wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who will slot in as the opener alongside left-hander Abhishek Sharma. The move could have happened in the fourth T20I at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, but it was abandoned due to excessive fog.

"Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right foot while batting in the nets on 16th December in Lucknow. After consulting a specialist and getting treatment with the BCCI medical team, he is improving but will be unavailable for selection for the final T20I in Ahmedabad," said the BCCI in its statement on Friday.

The development comes at a time when Gill’s place in India’s T20I set-up is under scrutiny, with competition intensifying due to the presence of Samson, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Gill, 25, has been India’s preferred opener alongside Abhishek since his elevation to vice-captaincy in T20I, a role he assumed after being appointed the Test captain and would later become the ODI skipper.

"Shubman Gill sustained an impact injury to his right foot while batting in the nets on 16th December in Lucknow. After consulting a specialist and getting treatment with the BCCI medical team, he is improving but will be unavailable for selection for the final T20I in Ahmedabad," said the BCCI in its statement on Friday.

Gill had come into the T20I series after recovering from a neck injury sustained in the first Test against the Proteas at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and went through rehab at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru.