NEW DELHI, Oct 18: Indian captain Saurav Ganguly may be forced to skip the start of the one-day tri-series against Australia and New Zealand next week due to an infection in the groin area, sources said here on Saturday.

Ganguly, 31, missed the ongoing second Test against New Zealand in Mohali after undergoing minor surgery to remove a boil.

But the Indian captain underwent further surgery on Saturday morning in his home city of Kolkata after the injury did not heal.

Doctors said the surgery was successful but Ganguly may take a week to recover fully.

India is due to play New Zealand in the tri-series opener in Chennai next Thursday before taking on world champions Australia in Gwalior on Oct 26.

“Saurav looks doubtful for the first match and could miss the second match too,” a team source said.

Vice-captain Rahul Dravid, who is leading India in the second Test, will also captain the team in the tri-series if Ganguly is not available.

Tamil Nadu left-hander Hemang Badani has been placed on stand-by in case Ganguly cannot take the field in Chennai, the source said.

The tri-series, in which each team plays the other three times before the Nov 18 final in Kolkata, will feature the first clash between India and Australia since their World Cup final in Johanessburg on March 23.

Australia will be without five frontline bowlers for the series. Pacemen Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee, and spinner Stuart MacGill, are out with injuries.

Prolific leg-spinner Shane Warne is serving a year-long ban after testing positive for a banned diuretic before the World Cup.—AFP