News18 reports that Hardik Pandya, the all-rounder for Team India, is not expected to play in the highly anticipated match against England on Sunday, October 29, in Lucknow. This is due to an injury he sustained in the first over of the Bangladesh game when he tried to stop a ball during his follow-through. Following the injury, the 30-year-old left the field, and Virat Kohli had to complete his over.
After his injury, Hardik was transported to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore to consult with a specialist doctor from London. Thankfully, there are no significant concerns regarding a long-term injury. A source has confirmed that the injury is not severe, and there’s a possibility that the pace-bowling all-rounder could be ready to play in the match against England. This is good news for the Indian team and their supporters.
However, the most recent information indicates that the management is cautious about hurrying Pandya’s return, particularly since the team is currently in a strong position in the 2023 World Cup. A BCCI official informed News18:
“Yes, Hardik is likely to miss the next match vs England in Lucknow. It is more of a precaution at this stage and nothing serious.”
Even though he had a chance to bat only in the first match against Australia, Hardik Pandya has played a crucial role as a bowler for India. He has taken five wickets in the three complete games, averaging 22.60, which has significantly contributed to the team’s overall balance.
Rohit Sharma’s team didn’t face much trouble and maintained their strong performance even without Hardik Pandya. They won the game in which he got injured against Bangladesh and continued their victory streak by defeating New Zealand in the next match.
India is the only team in the 2023 World Cup that hasn’t lost a single match
Despite the unpredictable nature of the 2023 World Cup, which has seen numerous surprising results, Team India has been unaffected and managed to win all five of their matches, securing the top spot in the standings. Although they faced a brief challenge during their chase against Australia when they were 2/3, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul ultimately led them to a comfortable six-wicket victory.
Following this, the Men in Blue secured convincing wins against three Asian teams: Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Their most impressive victory occurred in their latest match against New Zealand, where they faced another unbeaten team. They successfully chased down a challenging target of 274 runs, securing a four-wicket win, primarily thanks to Virat Kohli’s outstanding 95 runs.
Team India has been benefiting from the exceptional form of their star players – Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah. Kohli and Rohit rank as the second and third-highest run-scorers in the tournament, accumulating 354 and 311 runs, respectively. Meanwhile, Bumrah has been the second-highest wicket-taker with 11 wickets, just behind Michell Santner.
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