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In what came as devastating news for Indian cricket and its fans, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was on November 4 (Saturday) ruled out from the remainder of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Right-arm fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has been included in India's squad in place of Hardik. The star Indian all-rounder failed to recover in time and as it stands, Hardik is bound to take more time before he attains full fitness.
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Hardik Pandya injury
Team India players and its fans wore distressed looks on their faces after Hardik limped off the ground during the ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on October 19 (Thursday). The incident occurred in the 9th over of Bangladesh's innings, which was also Hardik's first over of his spell, when the Indian all-rounder tried to stop the ball with his foot and slipped. While attempting an awkward save, Hardik suffered a painful and scary injury to his left foot.
The Indian players rushed to Hardik, who was seen holding Virat Kohli's hands in order to stand upright. He was seen in visible pain and refrained from putting any weight on his left foot initially. The team physio ran onto the ground from the dressing and attended to Hardik. After a lengthy delay in which heavy strapping was done on Hardik's shin and ankle.
After getting treated on the left foot and ankle, Hardik tried a dummy run-up but looked in agonising pain before deciding to walk off the field in order to obtain further care for the injury. Hardik bowled just three balls and was hit for two consecutive boundaries before he returned to the dressing room.
In a last-minute change, Prasidh Krishna will replace the outgoing player in India's squad, as approved by the tournament's Event Technical Committee on Saturday. With just 19 white-ball appearances for India to his name, Krishna returns to the international stage following his notable performance against Australia, where he claimed the prized wicket of David Warner and registered figures of 1/45 in nine overs just before the World Cup.
Despite demonstrating promise with 33 international wickets, Krishna faces stiff competition from established pacers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj for a place in India's pace attack.
India and South Africa currently hold the top two positions in the World Cup standings, making the outcome of their upcoming match in Kolkata critical in determining the group stage's leading team.
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