India vs. Afghanistan: Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Ruturaj Gaikwad have all been ruled out of the T20 series against Afghanistan owing to injury. The three players will miss India’s final T20 series before the T20 World Cup in June. Suryakumar Yadav and Ruturaj Gaikwad were injured during the South Africa trip, while Hardik Pandya was injured during the ICC World Cup 2023.
The three players are considered to be key during the T20 World Cup 2023 because they have shown remarkable potential in the game’s shortest version. While Rohit Sharma’s future in white-ball cricket remains uncertain, Hardik Pandya is set to follow him as the next T20 captain.
Suryakumar Yadav, who led India against Australia and South Africa, has also shown remarkable promise. Mr. 360 degree demonstrated the leadership qualities of a captain, and his captaincy decisions on the pitch gave India a significant advantage over tough opponents.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has performed admirably as an opener in the T20 format, and if Rohit Sharma decides to skip the T20 World Cup 2024, he is one of three young openers India is considering. During the Australia series, he provided solid assistance to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive batting and managed to construct a long innings.
Hardik Pandya’s recovery not as expected
Despite the National Cricket Academy’s (NCA) early prognosis of a quick recovery, Hardik Pandya is currently undergoing therapy. Although the Indian all-rounder is working hard to improve his physical strength and conditioning, he has not yet reached an optimal level of fitness.
As a precaution, the medical staff has advised Hardik Pandya to continue closely monitoring and controlling his workload.
Hardik Pandya’s rehabilitation is critical since he will captain the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, and if Rohit Sharma withdraws from the T20 World Cup, Pandya is the most likely replacement.
