Injured pacer Praveen Kumar has been ruled out for five to six weeks after MRI scans long-established a fractured rib. What was on Monday describe as a blunt chest on the left side, which ruled him out of the first three ODIs of the ongoing series against the West Indies, was on Tuesday confirmed a fractured rib by the BCCI need over a month's recovery time.
Praveen Kumar underwent a scan on Monday 28 Nov 2011 evening, and was found to have a fractured rib, as per the report that came through on Tuesday,the BCCI said in a statement.
He is predictable to pull through in 5-6 weeks and has therefore been ruled out of the ODI series against the West Indies, as well as the Test series in Australia that follows,it added.
Meanwhile, Abhimanyu Mithun has replaced Praveen Kumar for the ongoing ODI series against the West Indies, Praveen's substitute for the Australia tour will be announce later on.His replacement for the Australia tour will be named on 5 December 2011, when the selectors meet in Ahmedabad to pick the Indian team for the last two ODIs against the West Indies,the BCCI said.
Praveen suffered some pain after the Twenty20 match against England on October 29 and requested for a two-week break. He then played the Ranji Trophy match for Uttar Pradesh against Saurashtra in Meerut where he aggravated the problem.
Ahead of the first ODI on Tuesday in Cuttack, India's stand-in captain Virender Sehwag had describe Praveen's injury as a niggle. Praveen has been battling quite a few injury problems this season. The 25-year-old had been ruled out of the World Cup due to a tennis-elbow injury.
He had also sustained an ankle injury during the Test series in England in July-August. Praveen has 27 wickets from six Tests and 69 scalps from 61 ODIs under his belt.