Kulkarni replaces injured Shami for Sri Lanka ODIs

Fast bowler Mohammed Shami has been ruled out of the ODI series against Sri Lanka beginning on November 2, a BCCI release said on Monday. He will be replaced by Dhawal Kulkarni in the squad for the first three matches.

Shami was the pick of India’s bowlers in the ODI series against West Indies, which was cancelled after the visitors flew back owing to a pay dispute with their board. Shami took 10 wickets in the three games that were played in Kochi, Delhi and Dharamsala.

Shami is the leading wicket-taker in ODIs this year with 38. The nature of his injury was not revealed.

Mumbai pacer Kulkarni was in the Indian ODI squad in England where he featured in just one match, and was left out of the subsequent ODI series against West Indies. But he was recalled after taking seven wickets for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final. He also took four wickets in the two warm-up matches against West Indies for India A.