Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the 2019 edition of the Cricket World Cup after he failed to recover from his thumb injury which he suffered during India’s clash against Australia.
The BCCI on Wednesday, 19 June, confirmed this development. 'Following several specialist opinions, he will remain in a cast until the middle of July and therefore will not be available for the remainder of Cricket World Cup” said BCCI’s tweet.
This, incidentally, also opens opportunities for young Indian wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant who was flown to England as his cover ahead of India’s third game against New Zealand.
Pant was not considered for selection in the initial Indian squad as the selection committee headed by MSK Prasad had said that Karthik’s better keeping abilities had ensured he get the nod ahead of Pant.
Pant’s exclusion from the Indian squad became a talking point, particularly after his selection was backed by the likes of former legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar.
The cricketing fraternity and fans took to Twitter to share their views on the development. Here’s what they said:
Meanwhile, KL Rahul has confirmed his position at number four in ODIs – while Vijay Shankar also made his World Cup debut against Pakistan in Dhawan’s absence. With Pant in the sidelines, it will be interesting to see how the team management fits him into the scheme of things.
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