New Delhi: Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the ODI cricket World Cup 2023 after injuring his ankle during a clash against Bangladesh. Pandya had missed all of the ensuing games but multiple media reports had claimed that the all-rounder could be fit in time for the knockoff stages.
Pandya has been replaced by Prasidh Krishna in the team and the change has been approved by the Event Technical Committee of the World Cup on Saturday, the International Cricket Council said in a statement.
The star India all-rounder, who twisted his ankle and landed awkwardly during the game against Bangladesh in Pune on October 19, limped off the field and did not take any further part in the match. He was sidelined and subsequently missed the next three matches against New Zealand, England, and Sri Lanka. The BCCI and the team management was positive that Hardik, who has since been undergoing treatment and rehabilitation at the NCA, would be fit for the semifinals, which India qualified for, but has now failed to recover in time.
Initially believed to be nothing more than an ankle sprain, Hardik’s injury took a serious turn when a ligament tear was considered. But since it was a Grade 1 injury, the recovery period was expected to last between 10-15 days. Clearly, as it turns out, the damage inflicted on Hardik’s injury is more concerning than thought.
