New Delhi: Virender Sehwag, the Indian batsman, could miss the Champions Trophy in September as he recovers from the shoulder injury that kept him out of the ICC World Twenty20. Sehwag underwent surgery on June 11 after a lesion was identified in his shoulder, and is expected to be out of action for around 12 to 16 weeks.

The Indian team physio Nitin Patel will monitor Sehwag's rehabilitation process and his stint at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Sehwag has to wear a sling for at least four weeks, and the lesion is expected to heal in six weeks. His shoulder will also be evaluated ten weeks after the operation to check whether he can throw a ball.

The Champions Trophy, which starts on September 24, is India's next scheduled assignment after the upcoming short trip to the Caribbean.

Sehwag had picked up the injury during the latter stages of the IPL, and there had been intense speculation over his fitness during the build-up to the World Twenty20. The uncertainty over his injury led to reports of a rift between him and the captain MS Dhoni, which prompted the team to make a dramatic public show of unity and emphasise their team spirit through a statement read out by Dhoni.