Shikhar Dhawan out of the World Cup as India enlist Rishabh Pant

The opener suffered a broken thumb against Australia but will not make a sufficient recovery in time for the end of the tournament

India have confirmed Shikhar Dhawan will miss the rest of the World Cup with a broken thumb, with Rishabh Pant called up as his replacement.

Dhawan was stuck by Pat Cummins on the way to scoring 117 in the 36-run win over Australia at The Oval on June 9.

Initial reports had suggested the opener would miss the rest of the tournament having been ruled out for three weeks.

The two-time world champions instead opted to keep the 33-year-old in the squad but flew Pant over to England as a precaution.

But after missing the victory over Pakistan, India have taken the decision following the advice from several specialists to remove Dhawan from the 15-man squad.

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"Shikhar Dhawan has been diagnosed with a fracture of the first metacarpal on his left hand following a ball impact injury during the team’s first match versus Australia," a BCCI statement read.

"Following several specialist opinions, he will remain in a cast until the middle of July and therefore will not be available for the remainder of #CWC19."

Official Announcement 🚨🚨 - @SDhawan25 ruled out of the World Cup. We wish him a speedy recovery #TeamIndia #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/jdmEvt52qS

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 19, 2019

A formal request has been submitted to the ICC for Pant to be enlisted as Dhawan's replacement for the final five games of the group stage as well as the knock-out phase, should India progress.

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