India will be without their key doubles player Yuki Bhambri in their Davis Cup Qualifier against South Korea after the veteran was ruled out with a thigh injury, forcing the team to rethink its doubles combination days before the crucial contest. The winner of this match will advance into the finals. India captain Rohit Rajpal confirmed that Bhambri will not be available for the Round 2 tie.

"Yuki Bambri is not doing too well with his thigh and may not be available to play the Davis Cup. So, we are working on that area to see what our combination is going to be, which we shouldn't be doing actually during the week before the Davis Cup. But unfortunately, we are having to do that," Rajpal said. Bhambri had suffered a right thigh strain before his US Open main-draw match and had subsequently been doubtful for the Korea tie. His absence is a significant blow to India's doubles plans, with Rajpal having previously paired him with Dhakshineswar Suresh.