What Is Shubman Gill Wearing on His Forehead? All About the Temple Fitness Tracking Device

Shubman Gill grabbed attention during India's preparations in Auckland on Thursday, October 29, after being spotted wearing a small device on his forehead.

The India Test and ODI captain was seen using the wearable during a training session ahead of the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.

What Is the Temple Device Shubman Gill Wearing?

The device is called Temple, an experimental fitness tracker developed by a team backed by Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal.

Temple is a wearable designed to monitor changes in cerebral blood flow and brain oxygenation. Unlike conventional fitness trackers that focus primarily on heart rate, steps and physical activity, Temple aims to collect signals associated with the brain's physiological responses.

The small device sits on the side of the forehead, near the temple, and uses light-based sensing technology to estimate changes in blood oxygenation. Its developers hope that the information could help users understand how factors such as physical exertion, posture, recovery and stress affect the body.

How Can It Help Athletes Like Shubman Gill?

For elite athletes, monitoring training loads and recovery is an important part of performance management. Temple is intended to offer additional physiological data that could help researchers and athletes explore how the body responds to demanding training sessions and competition.

Gill's use of the device has attracted attention, although neither the precise purpose of his trial nor its impact on his cricket performance has been publicly confirmed.

Indian badminton star PV Sindhu has also been spotted wearing Temple during international competition and training, bringing further attention to the experimental technology.

Is Temple a Medical Device?

Temple should not be confused with a clinically validated diagnostic device. Medical experts have cautioned that wearable estimates of cerebral blood flow and oxygenation can be affected by movement and blood flow in surrounding tissues.

There is currently insufficient evidence that using such a wearable improves memory, concentration or athletic performance. Its readings should not replace medical assessments or professional advice. Temple represents an emerging area of sports technology, but its practical benefits will depend on further testing and scientific validation.