Sehwag to miss Delhi's crucial tie against Haryana

New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) Virender Sehwag remains “unwell” and will miss Delhi’s crucial game against Haryana in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (North Zone) at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Wednesday.

Sehwag pulled out of his team’s last match against Himachal Pradesh at the 11th hour Monday, amid growing concerns over his poor form.

“Sehwag will not play tomorrow. He has not yet recovered from fever. He remains a great player and we hope he will be fit soon,” Chetan Chauhan, chairman of Delhi team’s selection committee and former India opener, told IANS.

The discarded India batsman averaged 19.50 from 13 innings in the Ranji Trophy and scored 10 and 15 at number three in the first two games of the ongoing 50-over domestic competition.

His absence means his replacement Jagrit Anand is set to get another game. Anand grabbed his opportunity with both hands by scoring a solid 61 in Delhi’s win over Himachal Pradesh. Yogesh Nagar, who made way for injured all-rounder Rajat Bhatia, too made the opportunity count by taking two wickets and chipping in with a handy 31 runs. India fast bowler Ishant Sharma, playing his first game of the tournament, was wayward in his eight-over spell.

The defending champions have enough options to fill the playing eleven and it would be interesting what composition the Gautam Gambhir-led unit goes ahead with Wednesday.

Delhi, who lie third out of six teams in the points table behind Services and Punjab, must beat Haryana to boost their chances of making the knock-out stage. Haryana are fourth in the standings having won only against Punjab.