The Indian team were handed a massive scare on the eve of their first warmup match against New Zealand when all-rounder Vijay Shankar was hit on the forearm while batting in the nets and was seen walking off in pain. He was taken for scans on his forearm and while the team management said he is being assessed, this could be a potentially big blow for Kohli's campaign.
Also, this could well see Rishabh Pant or Ambati Rayudu be drafted in if Shankar is indeed ruled out. Both Pant and Rayudu were kept on standby for this exact scenario and as per ICC regulations, a side can make changes to its side only if a player is injured.
Kedar Jadhav is already being monitored closely
India would hope this injury is not too serious as they already have Kedar Jadhav, who picked up a left shoulder injury during the IPL on May 5, but was still retained in the 15-man squad by the selectors after team physiotherapist Patrick Farhart gave a positive report.
If it does happen that Vijay is not fit, KL Rahul will play at the number four position. Rahul was part of the last batch of batsmen in the nets and although he has travelled to England as a backup opener, chief selector did say he could be used in the middle order if the management decides to use at number four.
As far as Kedar Jadhav is concerned, he could well sit out the warm-up game against New Zealand as the physio wants to be absolutely sure of his fitness. On Thursday, he took knockdowns in the nets, but went through the complete drill on Friday, which also included fielding practice.
"In the World Cup, you look at the first 4-5 games you play because you are going play nine and it's how you prepare. We don't single out any games because all 10 teams are strong. If we play good cricket we are going to be in a good position. There are too many things to focus on the teams. We want players to focus on their skills, turn up on the day and hopefully have that skill set better than the opposition," captain Kohli said at the captain's press conference.
India will play their warm-up games against New Zealand and Bangladesh on May 25 and 28 respectively. Their first match of the campaign will be up against South Africa on June 5 in Southampton.
