Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wished speedy recovery to Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan and said that the 'pitch will miss him'. Dhawan's Cricket World Cup 2019 dreams ended on Wednesday with a thumb fracture which he had sustained while batting against Australia. "Dear @SDhawan25, no doubt the pitch will miss you but I hope you recover at the earliest so that you can once again be back on the field and contribute to more wins for the nation," Modi tweeted, quoting the emotional message which was posted by Dhawan on Wednesday in which the left-handed opener had announced that he will not be able to represent India in the ongoing World Cup due to a thumb injury.
Dear @SDhawan25, no doubt the pitch will miss you but I hope you recover at the earliest so that you can once again be back on the field and contribute to more wins for the nation. https://t.co/SNFccgeXAo
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 20, 2019
In his video message, Dhawan had said that it is time for him to go back and recover. "I feel emotional to announce that I will no longer be a part of #CWC19. Unfortunately, the thumb won’t recover on time. But the show must go on.. I'm grateful for all the love & support from my teammates, cricket lovers & our entire nation. Jai Hind!," he had tweeted.
Dhawan had said that unfortunately, his left thumb will not recover on time. The southpaw added that he was desperate to represent India in World Cup but the injury means that he must go back and recover well so that he can play for the country in future. "Unfortunately, my thumb won't be recovering on time. I really wanted to play the World Cup and represent my country. Now it's time for me to go back and recover well and be ready for the next selection," Dhawan had said.
The Indian opener was ruled out of the World Cup after being diagnosed with a fracture of the first metacarpal on his left hand after he was hit by a ball from Australian pacer Pat Cummins during his century at The Oval on June 9. The 33-year-old Dhawan, however, continued to bat and went on to score 117 runs off 109 balls to help India defeat the five-time World Cup winners.
The BCCI on Wednesday said in a tweet that several specialists have confirmed that Dhawan's left-hand thumb will remain in a cast until the middle of July and therefore the southpaw will not be able to play for India in the remaining World Cup matches.
"Shikhar Dhawan has been diagnosed with a fracture of the first metacarpal on his left hand following a ball impact injury during the team’s first match versus Australia at the Oval on 5th June 2019. Following several specialist opinions, he will remain in a cast until the middle of July and therefore will not be available for the remainder of #CWC19," the BCCI had tweeted.
Dhawan's injury is a big blow for India because he has always performed well in ICC tournaments, scoring three tons in Champions Trophy and three in World Cups.
