Last Update on: November 9th, 2023 at 07:11 pm
In a massive blow for the India National Cricket Team, star all-rounder and T20I captain, Hardik Pandya, is all set to miss the upcoming T20I series against the Australia National Cricket Team at home, as per PTI.
The Men In Blue will take on the Aussies in a five-match T20I series just after the conclusion of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The matches are set to be played on November 23, 26, 28, December 1, and 3. The venues for the matches were announced as Visakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Guwahati, Nagpur, and Hyderabad. Reportedly, Bengaluru will host the last game instead of Hyderabad.
Hardik Pandya, who has been leading India in T20Is since last year’s T20 World Cup, sustained a left-ankle ligament tear during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and got ruled out of the competition. He will need more time to recover and might get fit in time for the South Africa T20Is, which will be played from December 10.
“There is some time before Hardik can be declared fit and available for selection. It would be more practical for him to try and complete his rehabilitation with a possible ‘RTP’ (Return To Play) during the SA series. It will certainly be the NCA Sports Science team’s call,” a senior BCCI source privy to the developments told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The squad for Australia T20Is is likely to be announced after India’s semi-final match in the World Cup 2023 and Suryakumar Yadav and Ruturaj Gaikwad are two players who are in contention for India captaincy.
Suryakumar Yadav is the designated vice-captain in T20Is and is the front-runner for captaincy. In case SKY asks for rest, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who recently led India to a Gold Medal win in the Asian Games 2023, will be leading the side.
Sanju Samson And Yuzvendra Chahal Set For India Comeback
India’s squad for the Australia T20Is will mainly consist of the players who played in the Ireland T20Is and the Asian Games 2023. The likes of Sanju Samson, Axar Patel, and Yuzvendra Chahal are expected to return.
Also, pacers Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, and Mukesh Kumar are likely to be picked for the home series as the first-choice pacers will be given much-needed rest ahead of the South Africa tour.
Talking about some new inclusions, the names of three players – Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar – have been popping up as they performed exceptionally well in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. According to reports, Riyan Parag’s name is under consideration for the series against the Aussies but nothing has been finalized as of yet.
