India opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan has been ruled out of the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand with a shoulder injury, according to a report from ESPNCricinfo. The governing body of Indian cricket is yet to announce a replacement for Dhawan.
India are scheduled to play the first T20I of the five-match series against New Zealand on January 24. Mayank Agarwal, Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw, who are already in New Zealand, are the top contenders to replace Dhawan.
The left-hand batsman was in good form against Australia and his latest injury setback is expected to keep him out for some duration of time.
He didn’t come out to bat in the final ODI against Australia in Bangalore. KL Rahul was asked to open the innings with Rohit Sharma. However, he failed to get going. Rohit and Virat then stitched a match-saving partnership and ensured India ended on a winning note in the last game.