Indian pacer misses Day 2 of Duleep Trophy semi-final due to injury, doubtful for West Indies tour?

In the ongoing Duleep Trophy semi-final clash between Central Zone and Western Zone, Avesh Khan didn’t take the field on Day 2. The star pacer suffered a shoulder injury on Day 1 (July 5) and was selected for India’s T20I team for the upcoming West Indies series in the evening on the same day.

The 26-year-old pacer was involved in an unfortunate collision with teammate Rinku Singh while attempting a catch in the second session. He was immediately taken off the field at KSCA Cricket Ground, Alur, and didn’t return for the rest of the day. 

Avesh was missing from the warm-up session prior to Day 2 and then didn’t join his teammates on the field, which worries Indian cricket fans. Indian national team faces West Indies in five-match T20I series starting from August 3 and Avesh was a surprise returnee to the international setup when the selectors announced the squad on Wednesday.

Apart from India, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, and Mukesh Kumar are the only specialist pacers named for the West Indies series. If Avesh’s injury proves serious, then the management is likely to announce a replacement they have enough time before making any sudden decision. 

Meanwhile, Avesh last played for India during the 2022 Asia Cup where he came under highlights for leaking 53 runs against Hong Kong. He also had a below-average Indian Premier League 2023 season with Lucknow Super Giants where he took only eight wickets in nine games at an economy rate of 9.75. Playing for Central Zone in the ongoing Duleep Trophy, Madhya Pradesh took only one wicket despite bowling 11 overs on Day 1. 

India T20I squad for West Indies series: Ishan Kishan (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Surya Kumar Yadav (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Hardik Pandya (c), Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.

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