Yuvraj to miss South Africa one-dayers

Yuvraj Singh has been officially ruled out of the one-day series in South Africa after medical reports confirmed a ligament tear behind his left knee. Yuvraj - initially named in the touring squad - consulted Dr Anant Joshi, the Indian cricket board's consultant orthopaedic specialist in Mumbai yesterday, who confirmed the news. He will replaced by Dinesh Karthik, the wicketkeeper batsman.

"There is a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament with some amount of bruising of the bone in the left knee and there is a swelling of the knees," Joshi was quoted as saying in Hindustan Times.

Yuvraj sustained the injury while playing kho-kho, a traditional Indian game, at the team practice on the eve of India's crucial knockout clash against Australia in Mohali. His availability for the three-Test series is also in considerable doubt, with the likelihood of him requiring surgery. The first Test begins in Johannesburg on December 15.

Should Yuvraj require surgery, he could be ruled out for six to nine months, thereby jeopardising his participation in next year's World Cup in the West Indies. Dr Joshi will re-examine Yuvraj in two weeks, where a final decision on the surgery is expected.