Shikhar Dhawan ruled out of World Cup due to thumb fracture

In a major blow to India's World Cup ambitions, opener Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to a fractured thumb. Dhawan has been ruled out till mid-July. "BCCI has written to the ICC for replacing Dhawan with Rishabh Pant," said BCCI team manager Sunil Subramanian. 

Dhawan sustained the fracture after being hit on his left thumb by a rising delivery from pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile during India's match against Australia on June 9. 

Dhawan played through pain after being hit and made a match-winning knock of 117 off 109 balls catapulting India to a 36-run victory over the five-time World Cup champions. Dhawan was soon ruled out of the next three matches. 

India had flown in wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant as cover for the injured Dhawan in the World Cup squad. Pant, whose omission from the original squad became a topic of heated debates given his stupendous form in the past one year, joined the team last Wednesday.

(With inputs from Neeru Bhatia)