How Papaya helped Shubman Gill recover in time for IND vs PAK ICC Cricket World Cup 2023

Shubman Gill scored 16 runs on his ICC Cricket World Cup debut against Pakistan.

Shubman Gill, who had dengue the day before the match against Pakistan, was actually 100 percent fit when Rohit Sharma said he was "99 percent" ready to play. He made his ICC Cricket World Cup debut on October 14 and scored 16 runs against Pakistan in a chase of 191 runs.

The team management was worried that something would go wrong or that the fever might come back on the day of the game. Consequently, the skipper had made a little allowance for a possible last-minute modification. The final choice was decided on Saturday at the venue, right before the game.

Gill's ability to withstand 100 fielding overs was the main worry. The fact that he only had two days to prepare, specifically Thursday and Friday, before the game on Saturday, was the second cause for concern. The management thought he was doing well in the nets, though. The ultimate choice was still put off until the very last second.

Doctor who treated Shubman Gill revealed how a diet of papaya amongst other things helped him recover faster

Dr. Sivarama Kannan, the physician responsible for Gill's speedy recovery and return to the field, treated him. He revealed that Gill had received a nutritious diet, particularly papaya, for energy conservation and strength.

"A young person, an athlete, usually recovers well. He was fully cooperative and attentive. He obliged to whatever we said. He came on the evening of the India-Australia match (October 8) and went back to the hotel the next evening. We had our male nurse, one person stationed there to give him timely injections and IV fluids,” Dr. Kannan told Cricbuzz.

Explaining the treatment process for Shubman Gill, the doctor said, "He came to us on the second day of his illness... We didn't allow his body temperature to rise. We continuously administered medication to ensure that the fever didn't escalate, and we maintained his hydration to prevent the disease from taking hold.

When the platelet count dropped below 50,000-60,000, we decided to admit him to the hospital. This was during India's match against Australia. The next morning, his platelet count dropped further, but by Monday evening, it began to increase, so we shifted him back to the hotel."

The doctor further added that once Shubman Gill’s platelet count went above one lakh, he discharged him from the hospital and allowed him to travel to Ahmedabad for Pakistan match. Gill scored only 16 runs from 11 balls, all of which came from boundaries, before getting out to an ambitious shot.