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England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that left-handed opener Ben Duckett underwent scans for a groin injury, but is fit and available for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, starting from February 19 onwards.
ECB issued a statement, stating that the batter sustained an injury while fielding during the third and final ODI against India at Ahmedabad on Wednesday. During the series, he top-scored for England with 131 runs in three matches at an average of 43.66 and a strike rate of 122.42, with the best score of 65. The ECB statement read, "Scans on a left groin injury have confirmed that England Men's batter Ben Duckett is fit and available for the ICC Champions Trophy. Duckett sustained the injury while fielding during the first innings of England's third ODI defeat to India in Ahmedabad last Wednesday." Duckett has done well in his short ODI career so far, with 831 runs in 19 matches since his debut in 2016 at an average of 46.16 and a strike rate of 102.71. He has two centuries and six fifties, with best score of 107*. The England squad will arrive in Pakistan on February 18 ahead of their opening match of the tournament against Australia in Lahore on Saturday, February 22. Matches against Afghanistan on February 26 in Lahore and South Africa in Karachi on March 1 will follow to determine England's chances in the tournament. England would be aiming to do well in the eight-team tournament, after fumbling their 50-over and 20-over World Cup title defences in 2023 and 2024. After a seventh-place finish in the 2023 World Cup in India with just three wins in nine matches and a semifinal finish in the T20 World Cup held in West Indies/USA last year, this tournament is the last chance for skipper Jos Buttler for redemption. England squad for Champions Trophy: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood. (ANI)
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