Reports suggest the opener batted through the pain of a fractured thumb against Australia and that Rishabh Pant may be called up
Dhawan under a cloud after Cummins blow
A hand injury suffered in the match against Australia has thrown Shikhar Dhawan's World Cup into doubt, with young star Rishabh Pant reportedly waiting for a call-up should the opener be ruled out of the tournament.
Dhawan was batting on 24 at The Oval on Sunday when a Pat Cummins bouncer hit him on the back of his left hand during his side's 36-run win.
The left-hander braved the pain and made a match-winning 117 as India beat the defending champions to remain undefeated from two matches.
Dhawan did not field when Australia were chasing and was seen with his hand wrapped in an ice pack in the dressing-room.
In a short statement, the BCCI did not elaborate on the nature of Dhawan’s injury, or how long he will be sidelined for.
"Shikhar Dhawan is presently under the observation of the BCCI medical team," the BCCI said ahead of Thursday's match against New Zealand.
"The team management has decided that Mr Dhawan will continue to be in England and his progress will be monitored."
The Times of India is reporting the left-hander has fractured his thumb is set to be ruled out for up to three weeks, with Pant set to fly to the UK as a replacement.
Image Id: 0A305DFC5BA849BC8234D8E0356E64CC Image Caption: Dhawan removed his hand from the bat at The Oval // GettyUnder ICC regulations, an injured player cannot be re-added to a squad once he has been replaced, meaning India will be unlikely to rush any decision on Dhawan’s immediate future.
The left-hander was the top scorer in both the 2013 and 2017 editions of the Champions Trophy in the UK and he exhibited his fondness for English conditions with another century on Sunday.
In his absence, back-up opener KL Rahul, who was listed to bat at No.4 against Australia, is set to partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order against the Black Caps.
It would then be a toss-up between wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik and allrounder Vijay Shankar to fill the vacant spot in the middle order.
Dhawan's absence denies India a left-right combination at the top of the order and also leaves them without any left-hander in their batting line-up.
Dhawan and Rohit have forged a formidable opening partnership with 16 century stands in ODIs, behind only compatriots Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly who shared 21.
Australians Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist also shared 16 century stands in one-day internationals.
2019 World Cup
Australia's squad: Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
June 1: Australia beat Afghanistan by seven wickets
June 6: Australia beat West Indies by 15 runs
June 9: Australia lost to India by 36 runs
June 12: Australia v Pakistan, Taunton
June 15: Sri Lanka v Australia, The Oval
June 20: Australia v Bangladesh, Trent Bridge
June 25: England v Australia, Lord's
June 29: New Zealand v Australia, Lord's (D/N)
July 6: Australia v South Africa, Old Trafford (D/N)
July 9: Semi-Final 1, Old Trafford
July 11: Semi-Final 2, Edgbaston
July 14: Final, Lord's
Sync Australia's World Cup schedule to your calendar HERE
For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE