Hardik Pandya, the versatile cricket talent, suffered a left ankle twist in his valiant effort to prevent a boundary during the recent clash with Bangladesh in Pune. This setback led to his absence in the subsequent match against New Zealand. Regrettably, reports suggest that he will also be unavailable for India’s forthcoming contests against England and Sri Lanka.
Rohit Sharma and the Indian team are getting up to play the reigning champions on October 29th in Lucknow, followed by another encounter against Sri Lanka in Mumbai on November 2nd.
As for the 30-year-old great player, now stationed at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, there’s a possibility of him rejoining the squad in either Mumbai or Kolkata, where India is due to clash with South Africa on November 5th, marking the penultimate game of the league phase. It’s worth mentioning that Hardik hasn’t resumed bowling practice yet.
Hardik was promptly transported to the NCA for treatment, with a specialist doctor from England directing his recuperation. Initially, the intention was for him to rejoin the squad in Lucknow, but that’s no longer the case. The Indian team management is obviously worried about pushing Hardik back into action, especially given their excellent five-match winning streak.
The significance of Hardik’s role in the team became obvious in India’s recent confrontation with New Zealand. To compensate for his various skills, Rohit Sharma’s squad had to make a handful of modifications. Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur were replaced by Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammed Shami.
Mohammed Shami, taking the opportunity with both hands, made a remarkable impact with the ball, concluding with outstanding figures of 5/54 in his 10 overs. Meanwhile, Suryakumar had a wonderful chance to drive India to win alongside Virat Kohli. Unfortunately, a mix-up between the two resulted in a run-out, leading to Suryakumar’s ejection after just two runs. Despite this glitch, India managed to achieve a four-wicket victory and climb to the top of the standings.
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The Indian team management is taking a cautious approach with Pandya’s return, prioritizing his full fitness for the crucial semi-finals and finals of the World Cup. With India’s impressive winning streak, Pandya’s well-being is of utmost importance, given his invaluable role as an all-rounder. His unique skill set is essential for maintaining the team’s balance.
Pandya’s absence is certainly being felt in the ongoing matches, and both fans and the team are eagerly anticipating his swift recovery. It’s possible that Pandya might only make his return during the last two league games of the World Cup, which are scheduled against South Africa and the Netherlands on November 5th.
