Leading all-around player Hardik Pandya is expected to travel to Mumbai to join Team India prior to their ODI World Cup match against Sri Lanka. Men in Blue will clash with Lankans at the Wankhede Stadium on November 2 in a repeat of 2011 Cricket World Cup Final.
Hardik Pandya is still recuperating from an ankle injury he suffered on October 19 in Pune during the match against Bangladesh.
“Yes, Pandya, who is presently recuperating at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, will join the team in Mumbai.”
“Right now, we can’t be sure if he will play against Sri Lanka, but he’s slated to join the team,” a reliable source told TOI.
Will India rush Hardik Pandya?
The return of Pandya to the India team would undoubtedly be welcome news for the hosts, who have won each of their first six World Cup matches.
Pandya was bowling against Bangladesh when he made a follow-through error, which caused him to miss the games against New Zealand in Dharamsala on October 22 and England on October 29.
Mohammed Shami and Suryakumar Yadav were added to the playing XI for the matches against England and New Zealand as a result of his absence.
In addition to collecting 11 runs at the World Cup thus far, Pandya has claimed five wickets at an average of 22.60 in four games. Notably, he has not had many opportunities with bat.
It’s highly unlikely that India will quickly push Hardik Pandya back into the side. They’ve not only almost made it to the semifinals already, but they’ve also been winning handily without him. India’s next game is against South Africa in Kolkata on November 5, following their encounter against Sri Lanka on November 2.
How Hardik got injured?
The 30-year-old was bowling his first over against Bangladesh when he fell to the ground after rolling his ankle while trying to field a ball that Bangladesh opener Litton Das had knocked back to him.
After being rushed to the hospital for scans, Hardik Pandya was forced off the pitch and did not return for the remainder of the match.
In order to bowl out the final three deliveries of the over, India’s ace player Virat Kohli took the ball.
