Sanju Samson to replace injured Shikhar Dhawan for WI T20 series: Reports

Bengaluru, November 27: Wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson is set to replace opener Shikhar Dhawan, who has been ruled out of the T20I series due to injury, according to a report in The Hindu.

The report says Dhawan injured his left knee during Delhi's match against Maharashtra in the first Super League match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament at Surat.

The incident happened when the batsman attempted a full-stretch dive while batting, and a piece of wood from his pad pierced his knee, for which he need multiple stitches.

The chairman of selectors MSK Prasad and NCA physio Ashish Kaushik were also present in Surat, and believe that Dhawan won't recover in time for the T20I series.

So, it looks very likely that Samson, who was initially left out of the squad, will be brought in for the three-match series, which is set to start on December 6 in Hyderabad.

He was a part of the T20I squad against Bangladesh, but didn't get a match to play. Congress MP Sashi Tharoor had expressed disappointment at the 25-year-old Kerala player not getting an opportunity.

"Very disappointed to see @IamSanjuSamson dropped without a chance. He carried the drinks for three T20Is & has been promptly discarded. Are they testing his batting or his heart?" he asked.

(With inputs from agencies)