Vinay Kumar, the 28-year-old Karnataka seamer was last week called up as replacement for fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji, who is nursing a stress injury to his right toe. However, he strained his right calf muscle earlier this week and has been ruled out of action for a minimum of two weeks, BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale said in a statement.
The selectors have now called up Kumar’s state teammate Abhimanyu Mithun as his reinforcement for the two T20 Internationals against the Three Lions.
The 23-year-old Mithun, who is yet to debut in the shortest format of the game, has so far played four Tests and five One Day Internationals for India. The last time the Karnataka paceman donned Indian colours was in an ODI against West Indies in Chennai late last year. He has picked up eight wickets in four Ranji Trophy matches played this season.
Vinay is the third Indian player to pull out of the short T20 series against England due to injury. The Bengal middle-order batsman Manoj Tiwary was last week ruled out of the series due to a side strain, before seamer Balaji was ruled unfit due to a foot injury. Uncapped Ambati Rayudu has replaced Tiwary in the squad for the England T20s.
The two T20 Internationals between India and England will be played in Pune and Mumbai on December 20 and 22 respectively.
The tourists will return home at the conclusion of the T20 series for Christmas and the New Year, and will come back to India in the first week of January to play a five-match One Day International series against the Men in Blue.
England have already won the Test leg of the itinerary 2-1, their first series win on Indian soil in more than 28 years.
During the Christmas break, India will host Pakistan in two T20 Internationals and three ODIs. The all-India senior selection committee will meet in Mumbai on Sunday to pick the squad for the Pakistan series, the board statement said.
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