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World Cup 2019: Bhuvneshwar Kumar ruled out of next 2-3 games due to hamstring niggle

Adding to Team India’s World Cup 2019 woes, the fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar was ruled out for at least the next two games with a hamstring niggle, confirmed skipper Virat Kohli after India vs Pakistan clash on Sunday.

India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar, left, bends in pain after bowling a delivery during the Cricket World Cup match between India and Pakistan at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, Sunday, June 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up the niggle in his third over against Pakistan after failing to get his footing right in the run-up and had to walk off the field during Pakistan’s chase of 337 on Sunday. Upon leaving the field, he was examined by team physio Patrick Farhart and a decision was taken to keep him off the field, with Vijay Shankar and Hardik Pandya combining to fill for him. Virat Kohli said, Mohammed Shami, who wasn’t considered for the Pakistan clash even with the overcast conditions, will replace Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the forthcoming matches.

“Slight niggle for Bhuvi, he slipped on one of the footmarks. He’s out for two, maybe three games, but he should come back for us at some stage during this tournament. He is very important for us,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony after India thumped Pakistan by 89 runs.

“Bhuvi’s case looks like a niggle, a case of slipping on the footmarks. It doesn’t look too serious at the moment and looks like he could recover in a couple of games from now, maximum of three games.”

Kohli added that “Shami was raring to go”. “He is going to be an important factor for us so hopefully he can recover in time. But we have Shami with us and it shouldn’t be much of a worry for us. Even Bhuvi doesn’t think his niggle is too bad and that time would heal it,” he added. It is a second big jolt for India as opener Shikhar Dhawan has already been ruled out of a few games due to a thumb injury, sustained during the match against Australia.

Kohli had said that Dhawan will be in “a plaster for a couple of weeks” but hoped that the Indian opener would be fit for the latter half of the league stage and the following semi-finals.

Both Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar were key in their respective departments but Team India have enough firepower in their ranks to deal with the setbacks.

India, standing pretty at the third spot with seven points from four games, will next face Afghanistan on June 22 in Southampton. India’s next three games are against Afghanistan (June 22), West Indies (June 27) and England (June 30).

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