Hardik Pandya Was Expected To Join Team India In Lucknow Before IND vs ENG Clash
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s participation in the upcoming IND vs ENG match in world cup 2023, to be played on October 29th in Lucknow, is currently uncertain, as per the latest reports. Hardik pandya is still recovering from injured knee.
Hardik Pandya suffered an injury while fielding on his own delivery against Bangladesh in Pune. He was unable to walk even after initial treatment and could only bowl three deliveries of his first over.
The remaining deliveries were bowled by Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya was taken out of ground for scans and further treatment. This injury incident marked a significant setback for the Indian team, as Hardik Pandya is a vital all-rounder and a key contributor with both bat and ball.
After the Bangladesh match, India’s captain Rohit Sharma had said there was “no major damage” to Hardik, and the allrounder was referred to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for treatment. Hardik subsequently missed the New Zealand game, with the BCCI expecting him to be fully fit before knock out stages.
After that incident, Hardik Pandya was also absent in the match against New Zealand in Dharamshala as he was subsequently sent from Pune to Bengaluru for ongoing treatment at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
The BCCI medical team is closely monitoring Hardik Pandya’s injury. They are taking a cautious approach to ensure he is fully fit before making a comeback.
News agency PTI reported that Hardik hasn’t yet started bowling but the good thing is that the swelling on his ankle has subsided.
“Hardik is still under medication. While the swelling on his left ankle has subsided considerably, he will start bowling only towards the weekend. Right now, important is to give him time to recover,” an NCA source told PTI.
Given India’s good form and their victory against New Zealand in Dharamshala without Hardik Pandya, the team management doesn’t want to take any risks.
The BCCI and the team management want Hardik Pandya to be completely fit before he returns to the field. They don’t want him to rush back in IND vs ENG match as this could potentially aggravate his injury, which could be problematic in the knockout stages.
India made a change in the squad, with Moh’d Shami replacing Shardul Thakur as the third seamer, and Suryakumar Yadav took Hardik Pandya’s place in the middle order.
Suryakumar was run out for 2 runs but Shami, playing his first match of this World Cup, picked up a five-for to help India restrict New Zealand to under 300.
Currently, the Indian team is in good form, and after their convincing victory against New Zealand, they are now at the top of the points table. So, there is no hurry to get Hardik Pandya back into the playing XI. The playing eleven likely to be remained the same for Ind vs Eng clash.
It remains to be seen when Hardik Pandya fully recovers and returns to showcase his skills once again for the Indian team.
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