ODI World Cup 2023: The management does not want to rush Hardik Pandya as the side is winning even without him.
Lucknow: After picking up an injury in Pune during the ODI World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh, India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been at the NCA in Bengaluru and has already missed three games. As per a report in the media, he is recovering well but will miss the remaining three group stage games. The report claims that Hardik would be back in the XI for the semi-final. The source claims that the management does not want to rush Hardik as the side is winning even without him.
“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,” says a source close to developments.
“It will be difficult to put a date on return at this stage but signs are encouraging and India’s unbeaten run has certainly allowed him more time to recover and be ready for the knockouts,” adds the source.
“See, no one wants to burden Hardik with travelling at this point. He is already in Bengaluru and could well rejoin the squad there itself. Whether he plays that game or not is too early to say but the Bengaluru link-up is very much on the cards because that game would mean no travel also,” the source concluded.
Meanwhile, India beat England by 100 runs to reclaim the top spot in the points table. This was the sixth consecutive win for the Men in Blue. England languish at the bottom with this fourth consecutive loss in the tournament.
This was India’s 59th World Cup win, surpassing New Zealand’s 58. Australia leads the chart with 73 wins. On the other hand, England have a lot to worry about as they have failed to even reach the 200-run mark in the last three ODIs.