Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan was on Wednesday ruled out of the ICC Cricket World Cup after failing to make enough recovery in a fresh assessment of his thumb fracture.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has replaced Dhawan.
Dhawan suffered the injury to his thumb after being hit by a Pat Cummins delivery during his 109-ball 117 knock against Australia on June 9. After he was ruled out, Dhawan posted on Twitter that it was an 'emotional' moment for him.
Dhawan was initially ruled out for three games — against Pakistan (June 16), Afghanistan (June 22) and the West Indies (June 27).
“The injury will not heal in time,” a BCCI source told PTI.
Pant was brought in as a cover for him after the team management decided to wait for Dhawan's recovery, but assessment of the injury this week did not throw up encouraging results.
Pant, 21, whose omission from the original squad had kicked up a storm given his exceptional form in the past one year, has got the big break.
His addition to the side was backed by the likes of Sunil Gavaskar. Gavaskar felt Pant deserved to be in if Dhawan was to be forced out owing to his “cracking hot form”.
Some on Twitter also thought up some Bollywood jokes to explain the possible state of Pant's mind.
Pant had scored impressive hundreds during the Test tours of England and Australia. He also enjoyed a good run in the IPL last month.
