Star India all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s fast return to the India Cricket Team during the ongoing Cricket World Cup is now gloomy. As per the latest reports, Pandya has sustained a Grade 1 ligament tear thereby making his return to the team a tough ordeal. Therefore will Axar Patel return to the squad as a replacement?
“The medical team under Nitin Patel is monitoring him at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. But the injury looks a bit more serious than what was first perceived. It looks like he has suffered a minor ligament tear which usually takes at least two weeks to heal. The NCA will not release him before his injury heals. The medical team has communicated to the team management that they are hopeful of putting him back on the pitch soon. The team doesn’t want to bring in a replacement. It’s ready to wait for Pandya,” a BCCI source informed The Times of India.
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“The team is currently comfortably placed in the tournament. Hardik will most likely stay back at NCA to do his rehab rather than travel with the team right now. The current situation is such that a call on Hardik’s involvement for the rest of the tournament will be taken next week. His return to play will have to be carefully charted. His fragile foundation makes the recovery longer than a lot of other players who have greater muscle mass. If need be, he is ready to take injections and play in the business end of the tournament. Anyway, if Hardik isn’t bowling at full tilt, it doesn’t really make such a big difference to the composition,”
Hardik Pandya Injury
Under no circumstances will the Medical board and the team management look to fastrack his return to the squad. As per reports from the Times of India, Hardik suffered a Grade 1 ligament tear on his ankle when he tried to stop the ball in the INDvs BAN World Cup clash. Hardik couldn’t continue and was taken to the hospital for necessary scans.
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He was not available for selection for the match against New Zealand. In his place, Suryakumar Yadav got the chance while Mohammed Shami came in place of Shardul Thakur.
Despite the injury, the team is unwilling to announce any replacements, as the team will wait for Pandya to become fit. On the other hand, Axar Patel remains as a standby for the Indian Cricket Team. But Axar Patel has been in fine form. Participating in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the destructive southpaw smashed a 27-ball fifty against Punjab.
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