India’s strong run in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has taken a major blow as star all-rounder Hardik Pandya remains sidelined due to an ankle injury, rendering him unavailable for the tournament’s remainder. The injury was sustained during a World Cup match against Bangladesh in Pune last month, and despite recovery efforts, the 30-year-old has been unable to return to the campaign.
Replacing Pandya in the Indian squad is Prasidh Krishna, a relatively inexperienced fast bowler who received approval from the tournament’s Event Technical Committee. Krishna boasts just 19 white-ball appearances for India and last featured at the international level with an impressive wicket of David Warner, registering 1/45 from nine overs against Australia just before the World Cup.
While Krishna has demonstrated potential with 33 international wickets, he faces stiff competition in the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj for a place in India’s pace attack.
Pandya, in response to his absence, conveyed his best wishes to his teammates in their pursuit of a third World Cup title and a second on home soil.
With the Event Technical Committee’s approval of India’s replacement player, Krishna becomes available for selection in a crucial World Cup match against fellow tournament frontrunner South Africa on Sunday. Both India and South Africa currently hold the top two positions in the World Cup standings, making the winner of the upcoming Kolkata clash the frontrunner to finish the group stage at the tournament’s summit.
