ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Rishabh Pant to join India squad as cover for injured Shikhar Dhawan; southpaw expected to return on 30 June

Young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will be joining the Indian team as cover for the injured Shikhar Dhawan in England as they prepare for their next match against New Zealand on Thursday. [caption id=“attachment_6096011” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Rishabh Pant. AP[/caption] Pant will be reaching England on Wednesday after getting clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday night.

Pant, whose omission from the original squad became a topic of heated debates given his stupendous form in the past year, will reach on Wednesday.

The Indian team management will be monitoring Dhawan’s recovery and if they feel it is not going according to plan, then the BCCI will officially request the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a replacement. Pant meanwhile, will join the team and start training straight away. He should be ready in time to come into the Indian playing XI if needed for the game against New Zealand. His arrival will be a day before India’s game against New Zealand and he won’t be considered a replacement till the time the team management takes a final call on Dhawan’s availability for the rest of the tournament. Dhawan was assessed by specialists in Leeds even as the team travelled to Nottingham where the fracture was confirmed. As per a report by ESPNCricinfo, the medical team has assured the selectors that Dhawan will be fit by around 30 June. With that timeline, Dhawan will miss matches against New Zealand (13 June), Pakistan (16 June), Afghanistan (22 June), Windies (27 June). He is then slated to rest before holding the willow again and attempt a recovery for the contest against England (30 June) at Edgbaston. “Rishabh Pant is being flown in from India as cover at the request of the team management,” a senior BCCI official currently in England told PTI. The 21-year-old is one of the most exciting players to have emerged in Indian cricket. He impressed with Test hundreds during the tours of England and Australia earlier and was in fine form during the IPL last month. Several former players such as Sunil Gavaskar advocated for his inclusion in the squad if Dhawan fails to recover quickly enough for India. Dhawan has been ruled out for two matches, as per Star Sports, due to a hairline fracture on his left thumb which he sustained during his match-winning hundred in the clash against Australia on Sunday. “Dhawan is presently under the observation of the BCCI medical team. The team management has decided that Dhawan will continue to be in England and his progress will be monitored,” the Indian team said in a statement on Wednesday night. “Dhawan sustained an injury on the back of his left hand in the region between the index finger and thumb,” it added With inputs from PTI.