ESPNcricinfo StaffNovember 4, 2023 • 6 hours ago
Hardik Pandya injured his ankle during his breakthrough against Bangladesh ICC via Getty Images
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the ODI World Cup due to the ankle injury he sustained against Bangladesh on October 19. Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has replaced him in the Indian squad.
Pandya was injured last month when he apparently twisted his left ankle while trying to stop a shot in his follow-up during his first over against Bangladesh. He played no further role in this game and was investigated. ESPNcricinfo understands that he has suffered ligament damage and is undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Prasidh, who has 29 wickets in 17 ODIs, last played for India in two ODIs against Australia during the series just before the World Cup. He took three wickets in these matches and five wickets in as many matches for Karnataka in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Prasidh had returned from a long layoff due to a stress fracture in his back when India toured Ireland in August and was also part of the Asia Cup squad, although he was largely on the bench and played just one game against Bangladesh.
After Hardik was injured, India dropped Shardul Thakur from their XI and brought in Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammed Shami, opting to go with six specialist batters, an all-rounder and four in their World Cup games against New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka Special bowlers to start. While Suryakumar managed just 63 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 105, Shami was a game-changer, picking up 14 wickets in 22 overs at an average of 6.71 and an economy of 4.27.
With seven wins in seven games, India became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals after beating Sri Lanka by 302 runs in Mumbai. Their next game against South Africa – on Sunday in Kolkata – could decide which team finishes at the top of the points table before they play their final league game against the Netherlands in Bengaluru on November 12.