After injured all-rounder Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the 2023 World Cup, KL Rahul was allegedly named India’s new vice-captain. The news comes after the wicketkeeper-batter has shown constant improvement since returning from a thigh injury incurred while captaining the Lucknow Super Giants in the 2023 Indian Premier League.
KL Rahul took charge, guiding India to a 2-0 victory over Australia. This happened in a recent bilateral series. Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, the regular leaders, were absent. The series closed at 2-1. Rohit was absent from the final match, which India lost.
KL Rahul has scored 542 runs in 12 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) at an average of 77.4, with a high performance of 111* against Pakistan in the 2023 Asia Cup. In seven World Cup matches, he has scored 237 runs at an average of 79, with a best performance of 97* against Australia.
Fans on X hailed KL Rahul on his selection as India’s vice-captain. One user posted:
Here are some more responses:
Hardik Pandya Expresses His Pain After Missing 2023 World Cup
Hardik Pandya expressed his heartbreak on social media after being ruled out of the rest of the 2023 World Cup due to an ankle injury suffered against Bangladesh.
He wrote on X on Saturday:
“Tough to digest the fact that I will miss out on the remaining part of the World Cup. I’ll be with the team, in spirit, cheering them on every ball of every game. Thanks for all the wishes, the love, and the support has been incredible. This team is special and I’m sure we’ll make everyone proud. Love, always HP.”
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya won the competition with five wickets in four games. In his lone occasion to bat against Australia, he was undefeated on 11.
Prasidh Krishna has been appointed as his replacement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
After seven consecutive victories in the ongoing premier ICC competition, Team India has qualified for the semifinals. On Sunday, November 5, they will meet South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. A victory would put India on top of the points standings. On November 12, they will play their last league encounter against the Netherlands in Bengaluru.