Bangalore, Mar 17 Murali Kartik was today ruled out of cricket action for at least three weeks after he suffered a ligament tear of his left ankle during the Deodhar Trophy encounter between Central Zone and North Zone here.

"Kartik got a ligament tear following a fall. He can't definitely play for three weeks. After that, an assessment will have to be made. It takes one-and-a-half months to get the tear allright," Dr Chetan Rai told PTI.

Kartik, who had the MRI done at the Hosmat Hospital, figured in the 14-member Indian squad for the first two Tests against South Africa, announced earlier today by BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah.

Shah had said Piyush Chawla would be the replacement in case Kartik and Harbhajan Singh (who will undergo fitness test here on March 21) are not fit. (Agencies)