ICC World Cup 2019 | Injury scare for Vijay Shankar ahead of first warm-up clash
India have got a major injury blow in the form of Vijay Shankar right before the first warm-up clash against New Zealand at The Oval today. The all-rounder was a likely starter at number four in the playing XI but his participation is now in doubt as he left the practice session midway on Friday.
The Indian team had a practice session before their warm-up match but the news about Vijay Shankar’s probable injury on his batting and bowling arm has not been a good one. The all-rounder attempted a pull off the net bowler Khaleel Ahmed while batting, however, he failed to connect and the ball hit his right hand. He had to leave the practice session midway, reported ESPN Cricinfo.
The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is yet to give updates on the status of the injury and the updates are expected to come before the start of the match. KL Rahul, who also doubles as a backup opener, may feature in the match in case the Tamil Nadu player fails to get fit in time.
Kedar Jadhav is another player who was injured during the Indian Premier League. The batsman regained his fitness prior to India’s departure for England but only did light drills on the first two days. Nevertheless, he did complete the drill yesterday which may come as a positive sign.
Given the probable forced changes, it will be interesting to see the combination that the Virat Kohli led team might go with today.
