Players gripped by injury fear as World Cup draws near
Bengaluru, January 14: A number of top-order players across the country are preparing against the possibility of injury to their club, at the World Cup beginning on February 2.
The most feared of the top-order, in terms of injury, is Delhi Dynamos’ Manpreet Bhandari, who has been ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury that came on Wednesday.
Delhi Dynamos’ Manpreet Bhandari (left) and Ashique Kuruniyan are both in the World Cup squad after being picked in the A-team. Pic/AFP
Bhandari, who is set to make his debut at the World Cup, was ruled out for the entire tournament with the injury suffered in the Dynamos’ match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Cuttack.
Harendra Singh Chandio, the top-order batsman for Delhi, has also been ruled out of the World Cup after undergoing a minor ankle injury.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ Prithvi Shaw, the World Cup’s only frontline bowler, has been picked for the tournament on the basis of his performance in the Bupa Twenty20 League, with his World Cup chances still intact.
The Delhi Dynamos, on the other hand, have opted for Ashique Kuruniyan, the only spinner in the squad, in place of Shreyas Gopal.
Kuruniyan had taken 18 wickets in the first four rounds of the league, and scored a half-century in an innings-and-42-over spell at a time when the top-order was struggling for runs.
After the Dynamos lost their first four matches, the team went on to register three consecutive victories and now stand second in the table.
Dynamos director of cricket Jatin Sharma believes that Gopal’s absence might not hamper his chances in the World Cup.
“Gopal has been our most consistent spinner for the past six years,” he said.
“The team management has decided to keep him in the team for the World Cup because even if he
