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Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya is set to miss the match against England in the ODI World Cup 2023. But the reports also suggest that Hardik might not be available for the match against Sri Lanka in the tournament. The news comes after Hardik was declared unavailable for the match between India and England in Lucknow, which is set to go underway on Sunday at Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium.
Hardik suffered an ankle injury after he bowled during the match against Bangladesh and tried to stop a ball from reaching the boundary ropes. In the process, Hardik suffered the injury, which ruled him out of the rest of the game. In fact, Hardik got ruled out of the match against New Zealand as well. Reports suggested that Hardik might recover before the match against England.
But the latest reports suggest that India does not want to hurry Hardik back to the team. It indicates that he might not play for India soon. "Hardik is still under medication. While the swelling on his left ankle has subsided considerably, he will start bowling only towards the weekend. Right now, important is to give him time to recover," a source in the National Cricket Academy said.
'Pandya has suffered a bad sprain but fortunately not a fracture' - Sources
Along with the National Cricket Academy's source, even the Indian Cricket Board's sources claimed the same. "Pandya has suffered a bad sprain but fortunately not a fracture. The medical team wants to take maximum precautions. He is likely to miss next two to three matches. The team wants him fully fit for the knock-out stage," a source from the Indian cricket board said.
In 5 matches so far in the tournament, India has remained unbeaten. The Men in Blue have to face the likes of England, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Netherlands in the tournament. But since India has a good record in the tournament so far, the management is not too keen to risk its key All-rounder. Reports suggest that Hardik would be match fit for the final leg of the tournament.