Swashbuckling batsman Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the ongoing Cricket World Cup due to a fractured thumb. The India opener has been replaced by Rishabh Pant, but his absence has sure worried Indian fans. The 33-year-old took to Twitter, to speak to his fans and also to reassure them.
Reassuring fans that India can win the tournament, Dhawan posted a video, captioned as, "I feel emotional to announce that I will no longer be a part of #CWC19. Unfortunately, the thumb won’t recover on time. But the show must go on.. I'm grateful for all the love & support from my team mates, cricket lovers & our entire nation. Jai Hind!"
The left-handed batsman was hit by Australian pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile's delivery earlier in the tournament. Dhawan scored a century in that match as India won by 36 runs. After being hit on his thumb, Dhawan looked to be in considerable pain, but carried on to score 117 off 109 balls. However, he didn't take the field during Australia's innings.
It was expected that Dhawan will be out for three weeks and return in time for the Bangladesh match on July 2, but he will be returning home.
The veteran will surely be missed, mainly due to his telepathic opening partnership with Rohit Sharma. The duo have won multiple matches for India, and were expected to lead India's batting lineup in this tournament, but alas, KL Rahul (who played against Pakistan) will have to pitch in as an opener now, and could very well forge a good partnership with Sharma.
