India‘s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the next match against New Zealand on October 22, to be held at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamshala. India registered a 7-wicket victory against Bangladesh yesterday, counting on its fourth win of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. With Bangladesh having batted first, team India easily managed to chase off the delivered target, brushing Bangladesh aside. Despite the big win, all-rounder Hardik Pandya sustained an injury to his left ankle while bowling his first over in IND vs. BAN.
A major health update by BCCI
On being hit on the ankle while Pandya was trying to halt the ball with his leg, he got a sprain and received on-field treatment by the medical panel. He was treated with pain-relieving spray, but a great sense of discomfort was still visible on his face, due to which he had to leave the field in between bowling three balls. Pandya didn’t return for the rest of the match and was taken to the hospital for certain scans.
On Friday, BCCI gave a major update on Hardik’s injury, stating, “The all-rounder was taken for scans and is advised to rest. He will be under the constant supervision of the BCCI Medical Team.” Confirming that Hardik won’t be playing against New Zealand on Sunday, BCCI added, “He will not be taking the flight to Dharamshala on October 20th and now will join the team directly in Lucknow, where India play England.”
Proper rest should be taken into consideration
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma also confirmed during the post-match presentation yesterday that Hardik had not sustained any serious damage to his injury and that he would be fine. The team management certainly does not want to take any risks, as the all-rounder’s role will be crucial for the team deeper into the tournament. Currently, India and New Zealand are the only two teams that haven’t suffered a single defeat, with New Zealand at the top of the rankings table due to its superior net run rate.
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