Reports suggest star player Hardik Pandya is finally over his ankle injury, according to Times of India (TOI). He’s expected to lead Team India in home matches against Afghanistan. These include three T20I games, starting January 11. Earlier word of him possibly missing the Afghanistan series and the next IPL has been dismissed.
In the latest World Cup, Pandya’s ankle was injured during his initial bowling at the Bangladesh match. This put him on the bench for the rest of the tournament and the following tour in South Africa.
Sources close to TOI confirmed Hardik Pandya’s injury recuperation and stated:
“He has completely recovered from his ankle injury. He has been training every day. He should definitely be fit for the IPL and possibly the Afghanistan T20Is. Hardik is fit and fine. InIn facthe has been working out daily. All the talk about him going on to miss the IPL is just rumor.
“There are still almost four months left for IPL 2024, so anything, at this moment, is just speculation.”
Recently, Hardik Pandya shared videos on Instagram. You can see him exercising in the gym and having fun with his young son, Agastya.
On December 9, during the Women’s Premier League auction, Jay Shay, the BCCI secretary, mentioned something interesting. Hardik Pandya, the champion all-rounder, might be making a comeback in the Afghanistan T20I series!
Hardik Pandya’s MI Comeback Grabs IPL Off-Season Headlines
Hardik Pandya is back in the news. He’s back with his original team, Mumbai Indians (MI), after a trade deal with the Gujarat Titans.
Initially, Gujarat Titans chose to keep Pandya. Yet, rumors quickly followed about him moving to MI. The rumors turned true a day after. Guess what? There was more news. Soon, MI announced Pandya as their new leader. Rohit Sharma, the previous captain, stepped down.
The IPL 2024 auction on December 19 brought forth a great deal of indignation and criticism until things ultimately calmed down.
That’s the close of Rohit Sharma’s leadership of MI, a role he’s held since 2013. His guidance saw them clinch five championships. On the other side, Hardik Pandya stood out too, steering GT to a victory in their debut IPL season in 2022 and a final burst this year.
In addition, Hardik Pandya took over as India’s T20I captain, taking the reigns from Rohit after the 2022 World Cup semi-final loss in Australia.
Meanwhile, in the 2024 auction, MI made a number of astute deals. They brought in a total of eight players, including World Cup stars Gerald Coetzee and Dilshan Madushanka.