Asian Games 2023: Injured Shivam Mavi Ruled Out, Umran Malik Likely To Replace Him | Report

The Indian cricket team preparing for the upcoming Asian Games has encountered an early setback as fast bowler Shivam Mavi has suffered an injury, which will force him to miss the continental games set to be held in Hangzhou next month as per a report. The specific nature of Mavi's injury has not been disclosed.

"In response to his absence, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) senior selection committee will select a replacement in the coming days. While the selectors initially considered sending Yash Thakur, who was among the standby players, he too has sustained a back injury. As a result, Umran Malik is likely to be chosen as Mavi's replacement," as per The Indian Express report.

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Notably, the Indian team will not travel with reserve players due to stringent regulations at the Asian Games village. The players have been called to Bangalore for a two-week camp, which will be supervised by the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The coaching staff for the second-string Indian team includes VVS Laxman as the head coach, Sairaj Bahutule as the bowling coach, and Munish Bali as the fielding coach.

The Asian Games are scheduled to take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8, with Ruturaj Gaikwad leading the Indian team. Initially, the BCCI had cited prior commitments as a reason for skipping the Asian Games but later decided to field both men's and women's teams.

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The men's team, considered a B-squad, will participate as the primary team will be engaged in the 50-over World Cup hosted in India. Both the men's and women's cricket competitions at the Asian Games will be played in the T20 format, with the women's tournament occurring from September 19-28 and the men's from September 28-October 8.