There were eyebrows raised at the inclusion of Shivam Dube in India’s XI for the final T20I of India’s series against England, less than 48 hours after he was controversially concussion substituted out of the hosts’ series-sealing win. Here’s why it was possible for him to retain his spot in the XI.
Dube was hit on the helmet by the penultimate ball of India’s batting innings in the fourth T20I, and was substituted for Harshit Rana, who went on to take three wickets. Dube, a batting all-rounder, has only been occasionally used by India in T20Is, and Rana’s inclusion prompted much debate. England captain Jos Buttler said he “disagreed” with the decision to allow the switch, with Kevin Pietersen also criticising it.
The controversy didn’t stop there, with Dube managing to retain his place in India’s XI, despite the blow less than two days hence. Buttler made his displeasure clear again at the toss, referring to his non-playing squad members as “impact subs”, a reference to an Indian Premier League rule which allows teams to make one change in every game.
“I actually don’t quite know the protocol,” said Alastair Cook on TNT Sports. “He failed [a concussion test] to start with, I mean we assume he failed it. Is there not a set amount of time? I thought you had to have a few days clear before you’re allowed to return to training. It was only 48 hours ago, so I’m a little bit surprised.”
The ICC’s concussion guidance backs up Cook in part, stating that “Generally, concussion symptoms will settle within 2-3 days and a player diagnosed with concussion is ready to return in about a week”. However they go on to say that, “in some individuals this time might be shorter or longer”. They also say that, with experienced medical oversight, it is possible for a player to return sooner, or even on a subsequent day of a Test match. It should also be noted that this is guidance, rather than a set of rules that must be followed.
There’s also the wrinkle that a player doesn’t have to be confirmed as having concussion for a sub to be called for; instead, it can be a precautionary measure if concussion is suspected. It is possible that Dube was suspected as having concussion, only to be cleared later. The BCCI confirmed that Dube was eligible to play in the game.
Dube excelled in the game, hitting 30 off 13 and taking two wickets.
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