Reports: Hardik Pandya unlikely to heal in time for Afghanistan T20Is and doubts loom over IPL 2024

The 2023 World Cup saw India’s all-rounder, Hardik Pandya,  suffer an ankle injury that ultimately prevented him from playing. He was not there for the December campaign in South Africa and the home white-ball series against Australia. Even though it was anticipated that he would be ready for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in early January, a PTI report indicates that India may be without the all-rounder once more, raising questions about their captain for the match at home.

India will face Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series between January 11 and 17, which will mark their final T20I assignment before the World Cup in June. It was previously announced that Suryakumar Yadav would miss the series due to an ankle sprain sustained during a T20I match in Johannesburg against South Africa. It can take six weeks for Suryakumar to recover from a suspected tear.

Hardik Pandya’s Uncertain Road: Impact on IPL and Team India

According to other sources, Hardik’s chances of recuperating from his ankle injury anytime soon are slim. As a result, he may miss the IPL 2023 season in addition to the Afghanistan series. Hardik Pandya got injured during an ODI World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh.

There is no update on Hardik’s fitness status as of now and one can say there remains a big question mark of him being available before the end of IPL,” an Indian Cricket Board source told PTI on condition of anonymity.

This might be a major setback for the Mumbai Indians and Team India. The national team’s selectors may want Rohit Sharma to come back to try and take the team to victory over Afghanistan. However, considering that Ravindra Jadeja was Suryakumar’s vice-captain during the South Africa T20I series, he might be the choice if the India captain decides to prolong his leave of absence. The all-rounder should exercise caution when managing his workload, though, as he will play in all five Test matches against England. Even the Asian Games gold medallist Ruturaj Gaikwad, who led India, will miss the series due to a broken finger.

The Mumbai Indians have named Hardik as their captain for the 2024 Indian Premier League season, replacing Rohit’s ten-year leadership role that saw him guide the team to five titles. Only towards the end of last month was Hardik returned to Mumbai from the Gujarat Titans in an all-cash deal.