Injured Faf du Plessis ruled out of India series

South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis on Friday was ruled out of the ongoing ODI series and the upcoming Twenty20 Internationals against India owing to a finger injury, a massive blow to the home side which lost the first one-dayer in Durban.

Centurion: South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis on Friday was ruled out of the ongoing ODI series and the upcoming Twenty20 Internationals against India owing to a finger injury, a massive blow to the home side which lost the first one-dayer in Durban.

Du Plessis was injured during the Durban ODI in which he scored his ninth hundred to take the Proteas to 269/8. India chased down that total with ease winning by six wickets and taking a 1-0 lead.

"I just got a blow (to my finger), so hopefully it will be fine for the next game," du Plessis had said in the post-match conference on Thursday.

However, further assessment revealed that he had sustained a fracture that will require 3-6 weeks to heal, thus ruling him out of the remaining five ODIs and three T20Is.

A replacement captain for the rest of the limited-overs' schedule against India will be named Tomorrow, just 24 hours before the second ODI here.

Farhaan Behardien has been called up as du Plessis' replacement. Also, wicket-keeper batsman Heinrich Klaasen has also been given a maiden call-up to the ODI squad as back-up to first-choice Quinton de Kock.

Du Plessis is now facing a race against time to be fit for the first Test against Australia starting in Durban on March 1.

This a huge blow for the Proteas who had earlier lost batting mainstay AB de Villiers for the first three ODIs, also owing to a finger injury sustained during the third Test at Wanderers.