Bhuvneshwar Kumar is set to miss India’s next two to three games at the Cricket World Cup after sustaining a hamstring injury against Pakistan.
India cruised to an 89-run win over their arch rivals at Old Trafford on Sunday, triumphing on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method as Pakistan could only reach 212-6 in a rain-affected run chase after Virat Kohli’s side cruised to 336-5.
However, paceman Bhuvneshwar was forced to leave the field while bowling the fifth over of Pakistan’s chase, with his replacement Vijay Shankar trapping Imam-ul-Haq lbw with his first ball.
India will be heavy favourites for their upcoming matches with Afghanistan and West Indies, and Bhuvneshwar is poised to miss those games, and potentially the blockbuster clash with hosts England at Edgbaston.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, captain Virat Kohli said of Bhuvneshwar’s injury: “Slight niggle, it was because of slipping on the footmarks, so it doesn’t look too serious at the moment.
“We’re going to give it some time, hopefully he’ll be ready in a couple of games, if not, max three games from now.
“He’s going to be a very important factor for us so hopefully he can recover well in time. We’ve got [Mohammed] Shami ready and raring to go so we’re not too worried about where the situation stands even after he got injured.