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Bhuvneshwar Kumar out of T20I series; Gurkeerat named cover for Rahane

The right-arm bowler will miss the rest of the Australian tour after suffering an injury

The Indian T20I squad has suffered a setback after Bhuvneshwar Kumar was ruled out of the three-match T20I series against Australia following a hairline fracture on his left thumb. It also ruled him out of the fifth ODI, that is currently happening at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Bhuvneshwar was struck on the left hand by a powerful shot by David Warner in the 11th over of the fourth ODI in Canberra. Although he seemed to be in a lot of pain right away, Bhuvneshwar was able to to continue bowling and finish his quota of overs.

Scans that were taken on Friday revealed that there was a fracture on his left hand, and Jasprit Bumrah was named as the replacement for the fifth ODI.

However, for the T20I matches, Rishi Dhawan has been named as the replacement for Bhuvneshwar. India will play three T20Is after the ODI in Sydney.

Another injury worry for India is Ajinkya Rahane, who split his webbing during the fourth ODI in Canberra. According to the BCCI medical team, Rahane's condition will be assessed in the coming days and a decision will be made on whether he will feature in three-match T20I series.

In case Rahane misses out on playing, all-rounder Gurkeerat Singh Mann has been named as cover for the 27-year-old batsman.

The Indian selectors will be hoping that the experienced duo will return to action soon, especially with the World T20 coming up in March 2015. However, on the other hand, it will be an opportunity for the newcomers to try and impress the selectors and get in contention for the T20I World Cup.

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