‘Lo bhai lag gayi panauti’ – Fans react as Hardik Pandya gets ruled of ODI World Cup 2023 due to ankle injury

The Indian cricket team is currently on an impressive winning streak in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, having secured seven victories in as many matches in the tournament. They have exhibited strong performances in all three facets of the game, with their batting displaying excellence, their bowling being exceptional, and their fielding department also delivering solid performances.

However, amidst their remarkable tournament run, Team India have faced a nightmarish scenario as their star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who had been absent from India’s recent matches, has been officially ruled out of the competition due to an ankle injury sustained during a match against Bangladesh. This news has evoked a strong reaction from disappointed fans on various social media platforms.

Hardik didn’t play India’s last 3 matches in the tournament, however, the Indian Cricket Board was pretty sure that he would be back in the squad as he was undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). However, in a surprising turn of events, the star allrounder will not be seen in any remaining World Cup matches for India.

“Pandya hurt his left ankle while bowling during India’s World Cup match against Bangladesh in Pune last month and it has now been confirmed that the 30-year-old has failed to recover in time to part of the rest of the campaign,” the Apex Cricket Council was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Prasidh Krishna has replaced the injured Hardik Pandya in the squad

However, the Indian Cricket Board has now announced his replacement as young Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna is included in India’s squad for the remainder of the ODI World Cup 2023. But it would be interesting to see if he gets a chance to play in the tournament or if the Indian side will continue playing with the same squad.

The Indian bowling attack has been phenomenal in the tournament so far and it seems that they don’t need any 6th bowler in the squad. However, only time will tell, if the management will make any changes in the squad or not.

Here’s how fans reacted:

https://twitter.com/Ch_Ammar_Ahmed/status/1720662770159661555

https://twitter.com/navsurani/status/1720665367717060752

https://twitter.com/berlin2okyo/status/1720645909829345351