(Image Source: Instagram)
[Saba Sports News] India’s renowned all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been out of the cricketing scene since injuring his ankle during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh in Pune. The incident occurred at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium when the 30-year-old was attempting to prevent a boundary off his own delivery. He had to leave the field immediately and was later ruled out of the World Cup, with Prasidh Krishna named as his replacement.
As the T20 World Cup 2024 approaches, scheduled for June in the West Indies and the USA, India eagerly anticipates Pandya’s return to peak fitness. The Gujarat-born cricketer has been diligently working towards his recovery, even sharing updates of his training sessions with fans. On Instagram, Pandya posted a video of himself rigorously exercising in the gym, along with light-hearted moments with his pet dogs and son Agastya, captioning it “Progress, everyday.”
There has been speculation that Pandya might lead India in the World Cup, given his leadership role in every series post-T20 World Cup 2022, during which regular captain Rohit Sharma was absent from T20Is.
Following his World Cup injury, Suryakumar Yadav took over as captain for the home series against Australia and the tour in South Africa. Current reports suggest Pandya may miss the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan starting January 11th.
Pandya’s contributions to India’s white-ball teams are significant, with 1348 runs and 73 wickets in T20Is. Finding a replacement for such a key player will be a challenging task for the team management. With both Pandya and Yadav dealing with injuries, the upcoming series might see a new leader at the helm.