Avesh Khan all but out of England tour
Written by I Dig Sports
Published in
Cricket
Wednesday, 21 July 2021 06:26
Avesh Khan's tour of the England is likely to have come to an end as ESPNcricinfo has learned that the Madhya Pradesh fast bowler has suffered a fracture in his left thumb, which he hurt on the first day of the warm-up match between the Indians and the County Select XI at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday.
Khan was representing the County Select XI, and immediately after lunch on Tuesday, he successfully intercepted a punched drive from Hanuma Vihari, but winced in pain. Minutes later he walked off, alongside the Indian physiotherapist, with a strapped left thumb.
The Indians ended the first day's play on 306 for 9, with KL Rahul having cracked a century (101), and Ravindra Jadeja making 75.
On Wednesday, the BCCI's media team sent an update on Khan, saying he would "not be taking any further part" in the warm-up match and that he "remains under observation". Khan and Washington Sundar had both been permitted by the Indian team management to turn up for the County Select XI, which had two vacant slots since the pair of James Bracey and Zak Chappell were not available. Bracey had been identified as contact of a Covid-19 positive case and had to be pulled out of the squad, while Chappell suffered an injury on Tuesday morning.
Khan had been named as one of the five reserves by the Indian selectors in the 25-man squad which was announced in May. He becomes the second player, after Shubman Gill, to be ruled out of the series. The details of Gill's injury have not yet been put out by the BCCI, but it is learned that the opening batter had been hampered by a niggle in the lower half of his left leg, which surfaced post the World Test Championship final in June.