(Image source: X.com)
[Saba Sports News] The injury woes pile on India as three of their key players, namely Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Ruturaj Gaikwad are reportedly unavailable for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, starting January 11 in Mohali.
While Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav have sustained ankle injuries, Ruturaj Gaikwad has hurt his finger.
While it was already confirmed that Suryakumar, who recently underwent a surgery, would be back to full fitness closer to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, ESPNCricinfo has reported that both Pandya and Ruturaj have still not recovered.
Pandya was leading India in T20Is before the ODI World Cup 2023 but as he got injured in the tournament, Suryakumar was given the charge of the side in his absence.
Ruturaj could get picked for the latter part of the England Test series, while Pandya and Suryakumar would now been seen playing for Mumbai Indians in the upcoming IPL season.
If the selectors do not pick Rohit Sharma, who last played a T20I in the World Cup 2022, for the series versus Afghanistan, it will be interesting to see who is named the skipper.
Notably, the Afghanistan assignment is India’s last T20I series before the World Cup, scheduled in June-July.