Hardik Pandya is probably going to make a comeback sometime in the World Cup semi-finals, having not played since the Pakistan encounter in Pune. The best all-round player in India did not go with the squad to Dharamsala, where they also had a short vacation after their victory over New Zealand. He was also unable to play in the team’s sixth match in Lucknow against England.
After missing time off the field due to a left ankle injury, the 30-year-old is making a full recovery at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Cricketnext has learned that he is displaying positive indications of recovery.
According to a person with direct knowledge of the situation, “Hardik Pandya has already had a couple of net sessions at the NCA, is under constant supervision of the BCCI medical team, and looking good.”
Although Pandya’s precise comeback date is still unknown, team management is expected to gradually reintegrate him into the lineup now that India has secured a position in the last four.
“Determining a return date at this point will be challenging, but there are encouraging signs, and India’s winning streak has definitely given him more time to heal and get ready for the knockouts,” the insider continues.
There are three matches remaining for India: in Mumbai against Sri Lanka, in Kolkata against South Africa, and in Bengaluru against the Netherlands. He may become a member of the team for the league’s final match against the Dutch team.
You see, nobody wants to put Hardik through this much travel right now. He is now in Bengaluru and may perhaps re-join the team there. It’s too soon to tell whether he plays that game or not, but the Bengaluru connection is definitely planned since that game would likewise need no travel, the insider said.
The past two times they faced one other, India was obliged to go the expert way without Pandya and lacked the luxury and safety net of a sixth bowler. The all-around player’s impending comeback means that the club management will once again have to deal with the abundance and joyful headache.
Following the England match, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey was at the ICC mixed zone. He said that Hardik is being evaluated by the medical staff but had little other information to provide.
“I really can’t provide an update on that; the medical staff is taking care of it and keeping in close contact with both NCA and Hardik.” Hopefully, we will undoubtedly have an update in a few days. We’ll see how it goes, Mhambrey said.
This World Cup, India has been playing well and hasn’t lost a single match. With 12 points, the Rohit Sharma-led team leads the points table after an almost flawless campaign that took them from Chennai to Lucknow. South Africa, with ten points from the same number of games, is next, followed by Australia and New Zealand, each with eight points.
The subsequent games will only determine the hosts’ final standing in the points table and their opponent in the round of four. The hosts have advanced to the semifinals.
