India national cricket team’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill’s recurring cramp problem came under heavy scrutiny after his Gujarat Titans teammate Jos Buttler hinted that there could be more to the problem than simple muscle cramps.
Gill has struggled with various types of cramps several times recently. The issue heated up again after the Indian captain suffered calf and hamstring cramps during the first ODI against England at Edgbaston on July 14. He was batting brilliantly on 80 before being forced to retire hurt. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill reduced the gap with Daryl Mitchell; Joe Root has gained two places in the ODI rankings.
Stuart Broad questions Shubman Gill’s frequent cramps
Although medical scans later confirmed that there was no major injury, he once again suffered cramps during the final ODI, but he managed to carry on and scored 77 at Lord’s. Notably, India lost that match by 27 runs and lost the 1-2 ODI series to England.
Now, former England fast bowler Stuart Broad raised the issue when he sat down with former England captain Jos Buttler on his podcast. He asked Buttler about Shubman Gill’s recurring cramps during the recent ODI series between India and England.
Broad also pointed out that Gill had lost his rhythm after passing 70 in both Birmingham and Lord’s and wondered what could have caused the problem.
Jos Buttler spoke openly about Shubman Gill’s fitness
Well, Jos Buttler admitted that he too was surprised by Gill’s condition. Buttler even revealed that he had asked Shreyas Iyer during the match if Gill was suffering from cramps.
Jos Buttler told Stuart Broad on the For the Love of Cricket podcast, “I don’t really know. I was, you don’t really engage too much with him batting, but I was asking, I think it was Shreyas Iyer, “Has he got cramps?” He said, “Yeah, he’s just got cramps.” I was there.
The Englishman was surprised when Shreyas Iyer told him that his Gujarat Titans captain suffered cramps because the matches were being played in England, where the weather was much cooler than the extreme heat in which Gill often bats in India.
“He’s only got 70 or 80 runs, and he’s in England. It’s not the 40-degree heat of Ahmedabad that he used to bat in. But no, I don’t really know what was happening there,” he said.
Butler hinted at a possible underlying injury
Buttler then hinted that there may be an underlying injury behind Gill’s repeated physical struggles. Meanwhile, Alastair Cook clashed with RCB’s Dinesh Karthik and Mo Bobt over the Jacob Bethel debate.
He concluded by saying, “Maybe he has an underlying injury or something. I don’t know, but you are right. Maybe it slowed him down a bit and got him out at crucial times at Lord’s. I was talking earlier about when people’s records come up on the big screen, when they come up. Oh, it’s a joke, isn’t it? Shubman averages around 60.”
Stuart Broad:- Your GT captain Shubman Gill, every time he scores 70, he gets frozen in Birmingham and Lord’s, he has lost his rhythm in both the innings, what can he do about it?
Jos Buttler:- I don’t know…he only got 70 and 80 but he is in England and it is not 40*C… pic.twitter.com/SmG9TVJM7u
– Indian Cricket (@navshar54008403) July 21, 2026
Shubman Gill’s recent cramp and injury history
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill’s recurring muscle problems have now become a growing concern for India. Many felt that the issue was related to the severe dengue infection that occurred just before the 2023 ODI World Cup.
At that time, Gill had reportedly lost around 6 to 8 kg of muscle, and then dengue can sometimes leave long-term effects on muscle strength and recovery.
July 2026 vs England: Retired on 80 at Edgbaston due to calf and hamstring cramps; The cramps returned during his 77 at Lord’s.
June 2026 vs Afghanistan): Suffered severe body cramps in Lucknow and batted wearing an ice collar.
IPL in April 2026: Did not play Gujarat Titans matches due to repeated neck cramps.
November 2025 vs South Africa: He was hospitalized with acute neck spasms, which resulted in him playing only three balls in his Test innings.
2023 ODI World Cup Semi-Final vs New Zealand: Retired after suffering leg cramps during the knockout match.