Yuvraj may miss SA tour

MOHALI: India were dealt a severe blow during nets on Saturday as Yuvraj Singh crumbled to a torn ligament. He has a cruciate ligament tear in his left knee that occurred during a warmup game of kho-kho.

The injury happened when Yuvraj rose to chase and a sudden twist saw him lose his footing and fall to the ground. The severity of the injury was not apparent at first go as even his team members laughed out loud at his tumble.

But when the 25-year-old failed to rise and continued writhing in pain the seriousness of the fall became apparent to those watching. Yuvraj then limped off the ground supported by team physio John Gloster. Later medical examination revealed the gravity of the situation.

Experts suggest that usually this particular injury, depending upon its severity, needs 3-6 weeks of immobilisation with a cast and then requires at least three weeks of rehabilitation. For now it appears that Yuvraj will be out for the forthcoming India tour of South Africa. He will consult Dr Anant Joshi in Mumbai who will decide the time of recovery and treatment.

Meanwhile, Sachin Tendulkar was felled by a Munaf Patel delivery and sat out of practice for a while. There is no indication of any cause for concern as of now.