Injured opener Murali Vijay was ruled out from India’s upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka on Monday, the cricket board said on Monday, with Shikhar Dhawan named as his replacement.
Vijay, who underwent surgery on his wrist in England after the four-Test series against Australia, has already missed the 10th edition of the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
The 33-year-old batsman is set to undergo rehabilitation after pain reappeared in his wrist while playing a warm-up match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a statement.
Dhawan, who has played 23 Tests at an average of 38.52 since making his debut in 2013, is now part of the 16-man squad for the three Tests starting in Galle on July 26.
The left-handed batsman, who last played a Test in October against New Zealand, was the highest run-scorer in the 50-over Champions Trophy in England and Wales in June.
India, led by skipper Virat Kohli, is also slated to play five one-day internationals and a single Twenty20 after the Test series wraps up.