Confusion reigns over Hardik Pandya’s availability for Afghanistan T20Is, IPL 2024

There's a lack of clarity over Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s availability for the T20I series against Afghanistan at home and the Indian Premier League 2024. On Saturday, December 23, a report by news agency PTI claimed that Pandya is unlikely to recover from his ankle injury very soon and is set to miss not only the Afghanistan series but IPL 2024 as well.

India take on Afghanistan in a three-game T20I series at home from January 11 to 17. The dates for IPL 2024 have not been confirmed yet. However, according to reports, the T20 league is likely to get underway on Mar. 22 and conclude towards the end of May.

While claiming that there are high chances of Pandya missing out on not only the Afghanistan series but IPL 2024 as well, PTI quoted a BCCI source as saying on condition of anonymity

“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.”

Meanwhile, Times of India has claimed that the 30-year-old is set to feature in the Afghanistan series and the IPL as well, as he has recovered from his ankle injury, which he suffered during the 2023 ODI World Cup in the league clash against Bangladesh.

“He has completely recovered from his ankle injury. He has been training every day,” TOI quoted a source as saying.

On earlier reports of his unavailability for the Afghanistan series and the IPL, the source said:

“(He should) definitely be fit for the IPL, and possibly the Afghanistan T20Is.

“Hardik is fit and fine. In fact, he has been working out daily. All the talk about him going on to miss IPL is just rumor. There are still almost four months left for IPL 2024, so anything, at this moment, is just speculation.”

In a significant development, Pandya was traded from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians last month. Subsequently, he was also named captain of the MI franchise, replacing Rohit Sharma.

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Will Hardik Pandya captain India in the 2024 T20 World Cup?

Since Team India’s semifinal exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma has not played any T20I for the Men in Blue. Pandya has led the T20I squad on several occasions since then. When he has been unavailable, Suryakumar Yadav has been given charge of the T20I squad.

However, following his brilliant leadership in the ODI World Cup, there has been a growing clamor to restore Rohit as T20I captain keeping the World Cup in mind. It will be interesting to see who leads India in the ICC event next year.

Meanwhile, there has been no update from BCCI over Pandya’s injury recently.