After getting injured during the IND vs BAN match in the 2023 World Cup, Hardik Pandya has started rehab for his comeback. The all-rounder suffered an ankle ligament tear while trying to stop a ball in his follow-through. The injury seemed like a minor one at the time, but it saw the star cricketer rule out the remainder of the World Cup.
However, despite not making the news off the field, the all-rounder was the buzz of the town for his off-the-field actions. Pandya had announced that he’s leaving the Gujarat Titans and going back to his old home, the ‘Mumbai Indians’, ahead of the IPL 2024 auction.
Now, a week after that, Hardik has announced his comeback. The star all-rounder took to social media to give a glimpse of his road to fitness. He posted a montage of his training with the caption, “WIP 🚧” (work in progress).
Hardik Pandya’s to potentially return in IND vs AFG series
The return date for the star all-rounder is not set, but he is likely to return to action in January. What works in his favour is that India will play Afghanistan in a 3-match T20I series from January 11 to 17. The likeliness of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli missing the series means that Pandya could potentially return to action as India’s T20 skipper.
Just a week ago, a BCCI source talked about Pandya’s recovery and status as skipper. The source said, “Yes, there remains a question what happens when Hardik comes back, but in BCCI, they feel that if Rohit agrees to lead in T20Is, he will lead in the T20 World Cup. In case Rohit doesn’t agree, then Surya continues as captain for T20Is in South Africa.”