Sourav Ganguly, who underwent a second operation on his left thigh, has been ruled out of the first two one-day internationals of the tri-series later this month. Ganguly was operated upon to remove an abscess on his left thigh, in a 30-minute surgery under general anasthesia in a hospital in Kolkata.

Speaking to the Press Trust of India, Ganguly said, "I'm now feeling better. The pain is much less." The nursing home where he was put up issued an evening bulletin saying that Ganguly's condition was stable and he was on a normal diet.

Dr Mrinmoy Nandy, the supervising doctor, elaborated: "We went for the minor surgical procedure as he was in severe pain and in a great deal of discomfort. We'll review his condition late tonight, after which a decision will be taken on his release. But the normal hospitalisation period in such cases is 48 hours."

Ganguly's brother, Snehasish, said that Ganguly was expected to be discharged on Sunday morning. But when would he be back on the field? That question remained in the corridor of uncertainty.