Pant was decided as possible cover for batsman Shikhar Dhawan
Indian wicket-keeper and batsman Rishabh Pant had been asked to temporarily replace batsman Shikhar Dhawan in their upcoming match against New Zealand. This comes after Dhawan suffered an injury on his finger when India played against Australia last week and won by 36 runs.
However, Delhi Capitals player Pant will not join the 15-man team as long as Dhawan is not ruled out of the game. Currently, according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Dhawan is still under observation.
“Team India opening batsman Dhawan is presently under observation of the BCCI medical team. The team management has decided that Dhawan will continue to be in England and his progress will be monitored,” said the BCCI in a statement.
Dhawan’s initial X-ray showed there was no hairline fracture on his finger but a CT scan later revealed there was a fracture.
“Look at it this way, Dhawan misses the matches against New Zealand and Pakistan, but stays with the team. We get a fair idea of how he is recovering,” stated a source close to the development in an interview.
“If all goes well, then we have a fully fit Dhawan towards the business end of the tournament and that’s great. If not, we always have a replacement ready. We have got to be careful with how we chose our cards. It’s obviously a huge blow. But then we have to live with it.”
India will play against New Zealand today at Trent Bridge. The Men in Blue currently have -204 odds while the Black Caps have +172.
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