Shikhar Dhawan might miss first phase of IPL due to shoulder injury: Reports

Shikhar Dhawan will be missing the upcoming New Zealand series due to a shoulder injury. This had happened while Dhawan had dived to stop the ball during the series-deciding third ODI against Australia at Bengaluru on Sunday. He had walked off the field and could take no further part in the contest.

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Dhawan to miss the first phase of IPL: Reports

Now, it has been learned that the elegant opening batsman might miss the initial stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which is slated to begin from March 29. As per reports, the southpaw will be out of action for not less than 10 weeks. He would once again be representing Delhi Capitals in what will be his second season with the franchise.

'Gabbar' had played an instrumental role in the Delhi franchise reaching the playoffs after a wait of seven long years in the previous edition. They had finished third in 2019. Like last year, youngster Shreyas Iyer will once again be leading the Capitals outfit this year as well. 

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Dhawan's replacement for limited-overs series

The All-India Senior Selection Committee announced the ODI squad for the New Zealand tour on Tuesday and named Sanju Samson as the replacement for injured Shikhar Dhawan in the T20 side.  Young Mumbai-lad Prithvi Shaw has been named as Dhawan's replacement in the ODI squad after his impressive knock of 150 against New Zealand A recently.

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Kohli & Co. reach Auckland

Ahead of the first T20, Indian skipper, Virat Kohli on Tuesday, took to social media to post a picture along with teammates Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur as they reached Auckland. The Indian team will look forward to proving their Test dominance overseas and consolidating their top position in the Test Championship. As Rishabh Pant's form still remains to be a question, Captain Kohli will persist with KL Rahul as the wicketkeeper-batsman after he proved efficient with the gloves in the ODIs against Australia. The skipper had also mentioned persisting with the winning combination as it reaped benefits after the ODI series victory. 

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(Image Courtesy: BCCI)