Home / Cricket / Hardik Pandya's race against time to recover for t..

Hardik Pandya's race against time to recover for the upcoming Afghanistan T20 series

Pandya is expected to recover from his ankle injury in time for the Indian Premier League (IPL)

By Omar | Dec 27, 2023 | 2 Min Read

India faces a setback as star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is likely to miss the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, marking India’s final international commitment before the ICC T20 World Cup in June. A source has informed ANI that although Pandya is expected to recover from his ankle injury in time for the Indian Premier League (IPL), his participation in the Afghanistan series remains doubtful. Having been part of India’s ICC Cricket World Cup squad, Pandya’s journey was cut short by an ankle injury sustained during a league stage game against Bangladesh on October 19.

Since then, he has been absent from international cricket, including the T20I series against Australia and the T20I and ODI series in South Africa. In Pandya’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav led the Indian team in T20Is, while KL Rahul took charge in ODIs. Regular skipper Rohit Sharma had also opted for a break from white-ball cricket after the World Cup final against Australia. The three-match T20I series against Afghanistan is scheduled from January 11-17, providing the Indian team with their last competitive outing before the ICC T20 World Cup.

Pandya recently made a move from Gujarat Titans (GT) to his former franchise Mumbai Indians (MI) through a trade. As the new captain of MI, Pandya will be tasked with filling the leadership role left by Rohit Sharma, who guided the team to five IPL titles. Pandya’s stint with GT was remarkable, especially in their debut season in 2022 when they clinched the trophy and finished as runners-up in the subsequent season.

During his time with GT, Pandya showcased his all-round prowess, amassing 833 runs at an average of 37.86 and a strike rate exceeding 133 in 31 matches from 2022-23. He also contributed with the ball, taking 11 wickets with the best figures of 3/17.

In his previous tenure with MI from 2015-2021, Pandya played 92 matches, scoring 1,476 runs at an average of 27.33 and a strike rate of over 153. He also claimed 42 wickets, with the best bowling figures of 3/20. Pandya has an impressive IPL record, winning five trophies, four with MI (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) and one with GT (2022).