Bad news for Indian cricket team as Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder and vice-captain, is likely to miss next two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup matches. Hardik is currently recovering from an ankle injury he sustained during the match against Bangladesh in Pune.
India is scheduled to take on defending champions England on October 29 in Lucknow and will next play Sri Lanka on November 2 in Mumbai. Pandya is unlikely to join the team ahead of the game against England in Lucknow.
The 30-year-old limped off the field after injuring his left ankle while fielding on his own bowling during India’s fourth league match of the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, against Bangladesh at MCA Stadium in Pune, and did not participate in the rest of the match.
As a result, he didn’t join the team in Dharamshala for the clash against New Zealand on October 22 and was rushed to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to be treated by a specialist doctor with the required injections.
According to the reports, Hardik will be available for the last two league matches against South Africa (November 5), and Netherlands (November 12) as the medical team will wait for a few more days to let him recover at the NCA.
With five wins in as many matches, hosts India are the only team to be still unbeaten in the ongoing Men’s ODI World Cup.