IND vs SL: Hardik Pandya To Miss Clash Against Sri Lanka And South Africa

Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is all set to miss two more league games in the ICC World Cup 2023 as per the reports in ESPNCricinfo. The Men in Blue are slated to lock horns with Sri Lanka on 2nd November followed by a clash against South Africa on 5th November. 

Hardik Pandya injured his ankle during the game against Bangladesh on 19th November. He walked off the field after suffering an injury and since then hasn’t been part of the team. He slipped in his follow-through and then missed the next two games against New Zealand and England. 

Recently media reports suggested that he has gained his full fitness and will be soon joining the team. It was also learned that he will join the team ahead of the South Africa clash in Kolkata but the new reports have suggested something else. 

Hardik Pandya since then has been putting hard yards in the nets at NCA and has resumed batting as well as bowling. The reports suggested that team management doesn’t want to rush him and they will be giving him full time to recover. The all-rounder will be crucial for the team in the semi-final. 

In the absence of Hardik Pandya, India have included Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammad Shami in the team. Both the players have played a crucial role and have been exceptional. While the batter scored vital 49 runs against England, the pacer bagged nine wickets in two games. 

IND vs SL: KL Rahul Admits absence of Hardik Pandya is a big loss for the team 

In the absence of Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul has been given the vice-captaincy. Recently while having a conversation with reporters, he admitted that the all-rounder not being there is a big miss for the team as he plays a huge role. He explained: 

“Hardik has been a very important member of the team and he has been there and he does a very important role for the team. So not having him is also a bit of a miss for the team. But it’s unfortunate what happened.” 

India have batted and bowled exceptionally well in the tournament and have hardly put a foot wrong. If they played the way they are playing, it won’t be a surprise if they win the World Cup.