India’s death over specialist, Harshal Patel has been confirmed as unavailable for the upcoming third T20I against the West Indies on Tuesday after the BCCI announced he has been suffering from a rib cage injury. He is expected to return in time for the final two matches in Miami and be given a chance to perform with the World T20 closing in. With Jasprit Bumrah rested from the squad, Harshal was expected to play at least some games in the five-match series.
The news was confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) through their Twitter account a few minutes after the lineup for the second T20I at Warner Park in St. Kitts was released, which featured Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh in the pace bowling department. The update mentioned that the right-arm pacer has been monitored by the national side’s medical team and was only ruled out for the second and third games.
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With the World T20 less than three months away, the team management will be looking to finalize the lineup for the marquee event. Patel had starred for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 with a tally of 20 scalps, having grabbed the purple cap as the highest wicket-taker in the previous season with a record 32 scalps.
The accolades of Harshal Patel in the domestic circuit have already earned him 17 T20I caps, in which he took 23 wickets. In the present summer, Patel started off well on home soil and had a solid series against the Proteas, registering a career-best four-wicket haul in the penultimate game.
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However, he has since struggled abroad, being hammered for 54 runs by Ireland in a T20I before making a strong comeback in the three matches against England. Nevertheless, the Gujarat-seamer will be eager to prove his worth on the international stage and earn himself a place in the Asia Cup squad at the very least while targeting the World T20 2022.
Team News – Harshal Patel has a rib injury and is unavailable for selection for the 2nd and 3rd T20I. He is being monitored by the BCCI medical team.#WIvIND
— BCCI (@BCCI) August 1, 2022
