NEW DELHI: India`s pace spearhead Zaheer Khan has been ruled out of the Test series in Sri Lanka due to a shoulder injury and replaced by rookie Abhimanyu Mithun, the cricket board said on Wednesday.

Zaheer, 31, has been India`s most prolific new ball bowler in recent years with 242 wickets from 72 Tests at an average of 32.98.

The cricket board did not specify when the left-armer, who played in the recent Asia Cup one-day tournament in Sri Lanka, picked up the injury.

Zaheer wrote on his Twitter page: "Shoulder is troubling me a little, need to sort it out. Hope to be back soon. Important season ahead."

Mithun, 20, a right-arm seamer from Karnataka, played a solitary one-day international against South Africa earlier this year, but has not featured in a Test match.

Mithun joins Ishant Sharma and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth in a three-man pace attack for the three-Test series that opens in Galle on July 18.

The action then shifts to Colombo, where the second Test will be played at the Sinhalese sports club from July 26 and the third at the P Sara Oval from August 3.

India are also due to play a limited-overs tri-series against New Zealand and hosts Sri Lanka after the Tests.

BDST: 1218 hrs, July 9, 2010