Hardik Pandya gets ruled out of Afghanistan T20I series due to ankle injury

Injuries have once again come to spoil the Indian plans going into this T20 World Cup and there are some big names involved. It is Hardik Pandya in the mix once again as he has not yet recovered from his ankle injury which happened during a World Cup match against Bangladesh. This injury resulted in Hardik being ruled out of the tournament and in the series against Australia and South Africa. With further reports, it looks like the former will be missing out on the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan as well. 

The story of Hardik is not looking good so far as he is not only ruled out of his third consecutive series but also his plans for leading the Mumbai Indians(MI) in the upcoming Indian Premier League(IPL) 2024 look grim as well. This is unfortunate since being an all-rounder he can also bring some depth to the team. This injury is taking a dark turn and he will be wanting to recover as soon as possible and get into the thick of things. The fact that injuries are still creating havoc in his career is heartbreaking for any sportsman in the world.

Update on his recovery

The update on his injury is barely disclosed to the media, but, certainly, he will not be part of the upcoming Afghanistan series that consists of 3 T20Is. The Press Trust India(PTI) has given their update reporting that the chances of Hardik recovering from his ankle injury anytime soon is unlikely and hence will not only miss the Afghanistan series but also might be out of the IPL 2023 season. The Indian Cricket Board finally gave a statement to the PTI saying “ 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." 

This ankle injury has once again made things difficult for Hardik as he will still be missing out on a lot of cricket. It is not the best news to hear for any cricket player who has represented a champion IPL side and has been an important addition to the national side with great ability and talent. We all hope that the swashbuckling all-rounder can come back on his feet and get down to business as soon as possible. Hardik will always be an important player who can perform with both bat and ball and give an option to any team.