Hamstring injury may rule Ishant out of ODI contention

With the national selectors meeting on Monday to select the Indian team for the last two One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against South Africa, Ishant Sharma's chances of being called up suffered a big blow with the Delhi speedster suffering a hamstring injury during a Ranji Trophy match against Haryana here on Saturday.

India are level 1-1 with South Africa in the five-match series, with the third match to be played in Rajkot on Sunday.

The injury kept Ishant off the field during the third day of the match between Delhi and Haryana, according to ESPNcricinfo.

Ishant felt his left hamstring was a little tight during his last spell on the second day and on the morning of the third day, he pulled out during the pre-game warm-ups.

An MRI scan is yet to be done, but fellow Delhi fast bowler Pradeep Sangwan said that the physio's initial assessment advised Ishant to take rest for three to four days, which could rule him out of playing his third straight Ranji Trophy game, against Bengal on Thursday.

Vikram Rathore, the member of the national selection committee present at the Feroz Shah Kotla, was seen making two trips to the Delhi camp, one before the start of play and another during the first session.

Ishant is supposed to miss the first Test against South Africa which starts on November 5, because of an International Cricket Council (ICC) ban for a second breach of its Code of Conduct in Sri Lanka.

The second Test, to be played in Bangalore, will start on November 14.