Hardik Pandya will be absent in India’s upcoming 2023 World Cup match against New Zealand in Dharamshala on October 22. Injured during the game against Bangladesh in Pune, Pandya hurt his ankle while attempting to prevent a boundary off his own delivery but stumbled and fell awkwardly.
In a statement released on Friday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that the team’s vice-captain, Hardik Pandya, will not be joining the squad for their upcoming match in Dharamshala. He has been advised to rest and will instead return to Lucknow for the game against the defending champions on October 29. This decision comes as there is a one-week gap between India’s matches against New Zealand and England, allowing Hardik more time to recover.
The BCCI issued the following statement on Hardik Pandya:
“Team India vice-captain Hardik Pandya sustained an injury to his left ankle while fielding on his own bowling during India’s match against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. The all-rounder was taken for scans and is advised rest. He will be under the constant supervision of the BCCI Medical Team.”
“He will not be taking the flight to Dharamsala with the team on 20th October and will now join the team directly in Lucknow where India play England.”
BCCI Official
Hardik Pandya’s injury: A big threat to India’s team balance
The balance that Hardik gives to the Men in Blue with his all-round skill is nearly hard to replace, which is why his departure is such a major setback for them ahead of their crucial game against table-toppers New Zealand.
Given Shadrul Thakur’s bowling form, India may opt to bring in Mohammed Shami for Hardik’s bowling and Suryakumar Yadav for Hardik’s batting.
The fact that the hosts may need to make two changes to compensate for one player’s absence demonstrates how important the all-rounder is to the system.