Veteran Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan sustained a shoulder injury during the final ODI against the mighty Aussies at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. As Dhawan dived to save a run in the cover region hit by Aaron Finch, he ended up hurting his left shoulder. He was taken off the field at the fifth over and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was brought in as the substitute fielder.
As a result, the 34-year-old player did not come out to bat because he was undergoing scans and therefore, K L Rahul opened the batting alongside Rohit Sharma. The BCCI media manager stated, “Shikhar's scans are here. The medical team is looking at the scans. He will be assessed and his condition will be taken care of and then we will take a call as and when we go”.
After clinching a colossal series win (2-1) against Australia, the ‘Men in Blue’ are all set for the upcoming five-match T20I match series against New Zealand, starting on January 24 with a T20I fixture scheduled in Auckland. Amidst the news of team India leaving for NZ on Monday morning, Dhawan’s injury has sparked the speculation of his absence from the NZ Tour.
Dhawan has been under observation owing to his consistent injury concerns. Moreover, he did not appear on the field during the Australian innings in the second ODI match after he was hit on the rib cage by Pat Cummins bouncer. He also suffered a thumb fracture during the World Cup in Australia and a knee injury in the domestic tournament, ending up with 27 stitches.
