Prasidh Krishna to Miss Third ODI Against West Indies With Hamstring Injury

A source familiar with the development told IANS on Thursday that Krishna will travel to Bengaluru instead of joining the Indian squad in Chandigarh. He is expected to report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE), where he will undergo further scans to determine the extent of the injury and establish a recovery timeline.

"Prasidh is definitely not playing the third ODI due to the hamstring injury he has picked. He will now report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for further scans, and his recovery timeline will be drawn based on that. For now, Kamboj is likely to be his replacement," the source said.

Krishna had opened the bowling for India during their eight-wicket victory in the second ODI at the ACA Stadium on Wednesday. He completed a four-over opening spell before returning to bowl the 31st over, after which he left the field having delivered just five overs in the match.

With Krishna unavailable, India turned to part-time off-spinner Naman Dhir, who bowled 6.1 overs. Dhir had also briefly left the field earlier after experiencing cramps.

Kamboj appears set to move into the senior squad after being withdrawn from the ongoing red-ball match between India A and Australia A in Puducherry. The fast bowler had taken 3-34 from 17.3 overs in the first innings before bowling only two overs in the second innings and leaving the game.

Fast bowler Praful Hinge replaced Kamboj in the India A playing XI.

Both India and the West Indies are scheduled to travel to Chandigarh on Thursday evening ahead of the third ODI. Krishna, however, will head to Bengaluru for his medical assessment and rehabilitation.

The injury also comes at a significant point in India's international schedule. Krishna was not selected for the five-match T20I series against the West Indies, which begins on October 6 in Lucknow, but his hamstring problem could become a concern ahead of India's multi-format tour of New Zealand, which includes five ODIs and two Tests.

With Krishna unavailable for the final ODI, India could consider bringing Mohammed Siraj into the XI after he was left out of the first two matches. The team management could also look at seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was not included in the playing XI in Guwahati.

The extent of Krishna's injury and his expected recovery period will become clearer after the scans at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.