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In a new twist to the Hardik Pandya saga, reports are now claiming that the all-rounder could be ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season due to his ankle injury.
Amid much confusion, the 30-year-old was traded to Mumbai Indians (MI) from Gujarat Titans (GT) last month. Initially, Hardik was retained by Gujarat Titans when the retention list was announced. However, reports soon started emerging that he had been traded to MI. A day after the deadline for the retention list ended, both franchisees, MI and GT, confirmed the trade.
In another significant development a few days back, Mumbai Indians named Pandya as their new captain for the IPL 2024 season, replacing Rohit Sharma, who had been at the helm since 2013.
However, according to a report in NDTV, there are strong chances that the all-rounder might not be available for the upcoming IPL season as he is unlikely to fully recover from the injury he sustained during the 2023 ODI World Cup. The website stated that sources had confirmed the same to them.
Pandya has been out of action since twisting his ankle during the 2023 World Cup league clash against Bangladesh while trying to stop a ball in his follow-through. He played four matches in the ICC event, scoring an unbeaten 11 in the one innings he batted in. With his pace bowling, he claimed five wickets at an average of 22.60, with a best of 2/34 against Pakistan.
“It was a tough decision” - Mahela Jayawardene on Pandya replacing Rohit as MI captain
Despite the injury cloud hovering over him, Mumbai Indians not only traded Hardik Pandya in from Gujarat but also appointed him as captain, a decision which did not go down well with a number of Rohit Sharma and MI fans.
Speaking about the significant move, Mahela Jayawardene, Mumbai Indians' Global Head of Cricket, admitted that the decision was a tough one.
“It was a tough decision. It was emotional, to be honest. It's fair on the fans as well (to react). I think everyone is emotional and we have to respect that as well. But at the same time, as a franchise, you have to make those decisions," Jayawardene told Jio Cinema.
“Hardik has been in the dressing room for quite some time, so that's nothing new. We know what he brings in as an all-rounder,” he went on to add.
Pandya has played 92 matches for MI, scoring 1476 runs at a strike rate of 153.91. With the ball, he has claimed 42 scalps at an average of 31.26 and an economy rate of 9.06.
