Indian supporters experienced a tough reality: star player Hardik Pandya will miss the rest of the 2023 World Cup. This is due to an injury he got during the Bangladesh match.
During his ball interception attempt, the 30-year-old hurt his left ankle and left the game. He went through tests, then they sent him to National Cricket Academy (NCA). An English expert will conduct further treatment there.
While there was hope that Hardik would be able to return for the last round-robin game against the Netherlands and the knockout round, the current development is a setback to India’s aspirations of winning the tournament.
Pacer Prasidh Krishna has been picked as Hardik Pandya’s substitute in the Indian team, and he will be able to play against South Africa on November 5.
Despite their winning run continuing in Hardik’s absence, Rohit Sharma has only had five specialist bowling options to choose from, which might be damaging in the knockout games.
Despite not getting much of a chance to bat, Hardik picked up five wickets in 16.3 overs of bowling in three full matches. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna returned to action in the Ireland T20Is after a lengthy injury layoff, and he also played in the Asia Cup and the Australia ODIs before to the World Cup.
However, fans on X (previously Twitter) were devastated by the news of Hardik Pandya’s departure and questioned Prasidh Krishna’s selection over fellow all-rounder Axar Patel.
Here are a few of the greatest responses:
Hardik Pandya’s injury no hurdle for India: First team to enter World Cup semifinals
Luckily for India’s cricket squad, the absence of Hardik Pandya hasn’t negatively impacted them in the round-robin stages. They were the first team to secure a spot in the 2023 World Cup semi-finals.
The team, led by Rohit Sharma, with an impressive streak of seven victories in seven matches, demolished Sri Lanka by a whopping 302 runs in their most recent match. This assured their position among the top four. Remarkably, it’s their fourth time reaching the ODI World Cup semi-finals in a row following their disappointing run in 2007.
Two more games await the team. They clash with South Africa in Kolkata on November 5, and the Netherlands in Bengaluru on November 12.
If India nabs the top spot, they’ll head to Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium for the first semi-final on November 15. But a stumble might drop them to second or third. Then, their semi-final match lands in Kolkata the next day.
The final battle unfolds at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19.
