MUMBAI, India CMC – Suresh Raina is now likely to lead India in the forthcoming limited-overs matches on their tour of the Caribbean, starting next month.
This follows a shoulder injury to Gautam Gambhir, which has landed the opener in the middle of a controversy for playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the cost of national duty, after he aggravated his shoulder injury during the IPL. Kolkata Knight Riders physio Andrew Leipus said Gambhir would need four to six weeks to recover fully.
“We have received the report from Leipus, and we are analysing it,” said BCCI secretary N. Srinivasan. “We will take into account all aspects of the injury. We are taking stock of the report, and we will take a final decision once we are through with it. If we find that he is not fit, he will not go on the tour. We will then decide on a replacement.”
The issue has sparked a blame game between the IPL franchise and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, after Gambhir played in the minor semi-final of the IPL against the Mumbai Indians on Wednesday.
He sustained the injury to his right shoulder during the World Cup final against Sri Lanka last month while taking a catch.
Gambhir’s absence would leave India without their best three specialist openers – Virender Sehwag has recently undergone shoulder surgery, and Sachin Tendulkar has been rested for the short-format games.
Regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has also been rested for the limited-overs matches, as well as left-arm fast bowler Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra.