Following a dominant win over Bangladesh and keeping their impressive four-game winning streak intact in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, the Indian cricket team led by Rohit Sharma has left Pune and is now en route to Dharamshala to participate their upcoming match against New Zealand scheduled for Sunday, October 22. The team hit the nets on Saturday in the afternoon, 24 hours before the IND vs NZ clash.
Hardik Pandya ruled out from IND vs NZ clash
Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya isn’t part of the squad traveling to Dharamshala due to an ankle injury sustained while fielding during the match against Bangladesh. He has been officially ruled out of the upcoming game. Pandya’s injury occurred in the ninth over of Bangladesh’s innings as he tried to field a ball in his follow-through, resulting in an ankle twist. Following scans, he did not play further in the match.
A specialist doctor from England will oversee Hardik’s treatment at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, and the treatment may involve administering injections to facilitate his recovery.
Meanwhile, with no direct replacement available for Pandya, the team will need to make changes to their lineup against Kiwis. One potential option is to include Suryakumar Yadav in place of Pandya and Mohammed Shami instead of Shardul Thakur. However, this would reduce the team’s specialist bowlers to just five.
It’s evident to everyone that, apart from the hosts, New Zealand is the sole team that has maintained an unblemished record in the World Cup so far. The Indian team management will exercise great care in the upcoming game to prevent a repeat of the disappointments experienced during the 2019 World Cup semifinal.
India’s Probable XIs vs New Zealand: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur / Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
