Dhoni out of Asia Cup with side strain

Saturday, 22 February 2014 07:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Kohli to lead India, Karthik called in to keep

MS Dhoni has been ruled out of the Asia Cup in Bangladesh because of a side strain. Virat Kohli will lead India in Dhoni’s absence and Dinesh Karthik slots in as the replacement wicketkeeper. Dhoni suffered a grade-one strain to his left side during the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington and will undergo

rehabilitation for 10 days. The Indian squad landed in Mumbai on Thursday after failing to win a single game in New Zealand. Kohli has led India in eight ODIs previously, when Dhoni was injured during a tri-series in the West Indies involving Sri Lanka and then rested from a tour of Zimbabwe in July and August 2013. India won seven of those matches. Karthik has not played for India since the tour of Zimbabwe last year either. India’s first game in the Asia Cup is against Bangladesh on 26 February. The tournament ends on 8 March, and the ICC World Twenty20 begins on 21 March, also in Bangladesh.