India are currently squaring off against Bangladesh in their fourth fixture of the ongoing ODI World Cup at Pune's MCA Stadium on Thursday, October 19. As two-time champions, India aim to ascend to the pinnacle of the points table but Bangladesh's openers Tamim Iqbal and Tanzid Hasan set the tone surpassing 50 runs within the initial 10 overs.
In the ninth over, as Hardik Pandya took to bowling, he conceded two boundaries. Pandya seemed to be grappling with discomfort, leading to an immediate check-up by the physio. He appeared to have issues during his run-up and his left leg received attention, being taped up.
Once on his feet, it looked as though he was set to carry on, much to the audience's delight. Yet, Pandya's evident limp raised concerns. A discussion ensued between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. In a surprising turn, Hardik chose to exit the field. The hope was that his injury wasn't severe. The atmosphere electrified when Rohit signalled for Kohli to finish the over, with the wicketkeeper up close to the stumps.
While this was a sombre moment for Indian supporters, Rohit Sharma's decision to hand the ball to Kohli had the stadium buzzing. Fans were ecstatic, recalling that Kohli's last ODI bowling stint was against Sri Lanka in Colombo back in August 2017.
Footage of Kohli's bowling quickly gained traction on social media platforms as fans took to x.com (formerly Twitter) to share their delight.
Meanwhile, Kohli last bowled in the ODI World Cup during the 2015 edition of the tournament.
Regarding Hardik Pandya's injury, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared an update on the renowned all-rounder. The BCCI posted on x.com, previously known as Twitter, mentioning that Hardik was undergoing scans to determine the severity of his injury. Additionally, ESPNCricinfo reported that the all-rounder wouldn't return to the field for the remainder of the innings.
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