Praveen Kumar has scotched speculation that he could return to the World Cup squad as an injury replacement, saying that he could be part of the quadrennial extravaganza this year only as a "spectator".

Kumar has been undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy here.

Given the injury woes of the Indian team, especially that of left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra, there was talk that Kumar had a chance of coming back into the squad. But the 24-year-old said that he would not be fit before the World Cup was over.

"This World Cup is over for me. I'm just preparing for the matches to come after the World Cup," Kumar told MiD DAY yesterday.

"I was upset initially, but destiny is too powerful to overcome. I am just watching this World Cup as a spectator now," the right-arm medium pacer said.