India opener Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the upcoming five T20Is against New Zealand due to the left shoulder injury he sustained during the third ODI against Australia in Bengaluru on Sunday (January 19).
Kerala wicketkeeper batsman Sanju Samson has been named as Dhawan’s replacement for the T20I series, starting January 24 in Auckland.
See More: BCCI announces Team India squad for the ODI series in New Zealand
Dhawan picked up the injury while putting in a dive during Australia’s innings in the series decider. Subsequently, the southpaw didn’t take the field and was seen having his left hand strapped in a sling during the post-match presentation.
"An MRI of his shoulder was conducted, and the results have confirmed a grade II injury of his acromio-clavicular joint. His hand will be in a sling and he has been advised rest for some time. He will start his active rehab management in the first week of February at the National Cricket Academy," the BCCI said in a media release.
Dhawan went through a painful 2019 as multiple injuries forced him to take a break from the game at crucial junctures.
The 34-year-old was ruled out midway through the World Cup in UK because of a thumb fracture and on comeback struggled for runs in the T20I series versus South Africa and Bangladesh. He then went down again with a knee injury while playing for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Dhawan subsequently missed the West Indies ODI and T20I series in December when KL Rahul challenged him by claiming a regular spot at the top of the order.
The veteran opener finally came back with a bang, scoring back-to-back half-centuries against a strong Australian bowling attack in the ODI series this month. However, the latest injury setback comes at a time when India are looking to lock the spots for the T20 World Cup, scheduled for later this year.
India’s T20I Squad for New Zealand Tour:
Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma (VC), Sanju Samson, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (WK), Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur
