World Cup 2019: Vijay Shankar ruled out of the competition, Mayank Agarwal slated to be named as a replacement
What’s the story?
Indian all-rounder Vijay Shankar has been ruled out of the ongoing 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup due to a toe injury he sustained while batting in the nets against Jasprit Bumrah.
With Shankar ruled out for the entirety of the competition, Karnataka's 28-year old opening batsman Mayank Agarwal is set to be named as the all-rounder's replacement.
In case you didn’t know
Vijay Shankar was pencilled down to be India’s No.4 batsman after KL Rahul was promoted to the top of the order post Shikhar Dhawan's injury. Yet, he couldn’t take part against England courtesy of the blow he suffered on the eve of the game as Rishabh Pant was handed out a debut.
Though he didn’t set the world ablaze with his contributions with the willow, his ability to double up as a sixth bowling option lent balance to the Indian side. Thus, his loss could be a dent to India’s campaigns.
The heart of the matter
As per Cricinfo, the all-rounder has been ruled out for the tournament owing to a toe injury that he picked up courtesy of Jasprit Bumrah's yorker that caused him a bit of grief in the net session prior to the England game.
Vijay Shankar's absence could prove to be a significant blow for India as they are also sweating over the fitness of Rahul after a knock he took to the back yesterday that kept the opener out of the field during England's batting.
Shankar's replacement, Mayank Agarwal, is yet to make his ODI debut but impressed with a good show during his test debut against Australia. A big-hitting opening batsman from Karnataka, the opener will fly in to join the squad subject to approval from ICC.
What’s next?
India still have two group games to play against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Barring any extraordinary calamities, the Men In Blue are expected to make the semi-finals and Agarwal's explosiveness at the top of the order could be key for Virat Kohli's side.
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