Shivam Dube, India’s all-rounder, will miss the forthcoming T20I series against Bangladesh due to a back injury. The three-match series will begin on Sunday in Gwalior, and young batter Tilak Varma has been called in as Dube’s replacement.
Dube, who has been a key figure in India’s T20I team since his return to the side last August, had recently suffered another injury in February, when a side strain kept him out of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy semi-final. His latest back issue has now forced him to miss this series.
Since his return to the national team, Dube has been in good form, scoring 377 runs in 23 T20I matches at an average of 31.41 and a strike rate of 126.93. His performances have included two crucial unbeaten half-centuries against Afghanistan earlier this year and important cameos in India’s title-winning campaign at the T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the USA. In addition to his batting, Dube has also taken seven wickets in this period.
Dube’s last competitive match was for India A against India B in the Duleep Trophy earlier this month, where he scored 20 and 14 with the bat and bowled 12 overs in the first innings.
In Dube’s absence, 21-year-old Tilak Varma has been included in the squad. Tilak has played 16 T20Is for India, with his last appearance being against Afghanistan in January. Although he is primarily a middle-order batter, Tilak also bowls part-time off-spin. He’ll join the Indian squad in Gwalior on Sunday morning.
India’s T20I squad for Bangladesh T20I Series
– Suryakumar Yadav (Captain)
– Abhishek Sharma
– Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper)
– Rinku Singh
– Hardik Pandya
– Riyan Parag
– Nitish Kumar Reddy
– Washington Sundar
– Ravi Bishnoi
– Varun Chakravarthy
– Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper)
– Arshdeep Singh
– Harshit Rana
– Mayank Yadav
– Tilak Varma
The series is set to begin in Gwalior on Sunday, marking a return to international cricket for the city after 14 years.