- By Ankit Bisht
- Mon, 30 Oct 2023 11:50 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is expected to join the squad in Mumbai before the clash against Sri Lanka in the World Cup 2023 on Thursday, November 2. Pandya missed matches against New Zealand and England due to a right ankle injury sustained during the clash against Bangladesh in Pune.
However, his absence did not create much panic in the Indian dressing room as Rohit Shara-led side won both games comfortably. India maintain a 100 per cent win record in the marquee tournament so far with six victories in as many games. They sit at the top of the table with 12 points and are front-runners to qualify for the semi-final.
According to reports, Pandya will join the squad in Mumbai but his participation in the clash against Sri Lanka is unlikely as he continues to recover from his injury at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
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“Yes, Pandya, who is presently recuperating at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, will join the team in Mumbai. Right now, we can’t be sure if he will play against Sri Lanka, but he’s slated to join the team,” Times of India quoted a source as saying.
The all-rounder remains under constant vigil of the BCCI medical team in Bengaluru. With three fixtures left against Sri Lanka, South Africa and Netherlands in the league stage, India did not want to hurry things with Pandya and expect him to be fit for the knockout stage of the event.
“It will be difficult to put a date on return at this stage but signs are encouraging and India’s unbeaten run has certainly allowed him more time to recover and be ready for the knockouts,” News18 quoted a source as saying.
“See, no one wants to burden Hardik with travelling at this point. He is already in Bengaluru and could well rejoin the squad there itself. Whether he plays that game or not is too early to say but the Bengaluru link-up is very much on the cards because that game would mean no travel also,” the source added.
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After the 100-run win against England in Lucknow on Sunday, India bowling coach Paras Mhambrey did not reveal anything on Pandya's return to action.
“I can’t really give an update on that and the medical team is handling that and very much in touch with Hardik and NCA as well. Hopefully, we will have an update in a couple of days for sure. We will see how it goes,” Mhambrey said.
In the absence of Pandya, India picked ace seamer Mohammed Shami and Suryakumar Yadav in playing 11. Shami bagged nine wickets including back-to-back four-fers. Meanwhile, Suryakumar scored two and 49 respectively. In the game against Sri Lanka, Men in Blue are likely to back the same combination.