Big Blow to India as Hardik Pandya ruled out of T20I series against Australia, superstar players to be given rest

India's star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will miss the upcoming five-match T20I series against Australia which is slated to start from November 23, just four days after the ODI World Cup 2023 concludes. As reported by ESPNcricinfo the Indian squad for the T20I series is scheduled to be announced on November 15, the same day when Men in Blue will be locking horns with New Zealand in the World Cup semifinal at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

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Pandya suffered an ankle injury during India's World Cup league match against Bangladesh on October 19. The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) medical staff has recommended a rest period of six to eight weeks for the all-rounder. Although there was initial optimism about Pandya's recovery for the later stages of the World Cup, persistent swelling and pain during fitness assessments led to him being sidelined for the remainder of the tournament, with Prasidh Krishna stepping in as his replacement.

Besides Pandya's absence, the majority of the World Cup squad is likely to be rested, with a fresh lineup expected for the Australia series. This lineup will likely feature players from the Asian Games held in October, a tournament where India, under the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad, secured a gold medal. Key players from India's successful campaign at the Asian Games, such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma, are potential candidates for the Australia series.

The selection panel, headed by former Indian allrounder Ajit Agarkar, faces the task of balancing the team's workload, considering the back-to-back participation in the Asia Cup and the World Cup. This approach is part of the broader strategy to manage player fitness and readiness for upcoming challenges.

In a related development, there is anticipation regarding the coaching role for the T20I series. VVS Laxman is reportedly set to assume the head coach position. However, there remains uncertainty about Rahul Dravid's role with the Indian team, as his two-year contract concludes with the World Cup.

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