Harshal Patel to miss second and third T20I with rib injury

India seamer Harshal Patel has been ruled out of selection for the second and third T20Is of the ongoing five-match T20I series against West Indies with rib-injury. Harshal had featured in each of the three T20Is against England last month, but was overlooked for the opener against the West Indies in Tarouba on Friday, July 29, which India went on to win by 68 runs.

“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,” stated a tweet from the BCCI.

He had led the wicket-taking charts in a 2-2 drawn home series against South Africa in June, which included a career-best 4/25 in the third of five T20Is in Visakhapatnam.

India made one change in the second game against the T20I from the series opener, with wrist-spinner Ravi Bishnoi making way for speedster Avesh Khan. Interestingly, Bishnoi had returned 2/26 from his four overs on Friday.

Meanwhile,  Avesh had made one T20I each against Ireland and England, before making his ODI debut in the second of three games against the West Indies last month.

“Thought we read the pitch well,” said skipper Rohit Sharma at the toss during the second T20I. “I thought as a team we made the right call with three spinners. This ground's dimensions are vastly different, and with the cross wind, we have an extra seamer. Bishnoi misses out, Avesh comes in. Unfortunately he has to miss out but we want to be clear what we want to do as a team. Team comes first. Lot of guys are here, performing well, but we are trying to do as a team to play well."