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Hardik Pandya (Source: Twitter)
The Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya sustained an ankle injury during the 2023 World Cup, leading to his omission from subsequent white-ball series against Australia and South Africa in December. While there was optimism about his recovery for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in January, a recent report suggesting his prolonged absence raises concerns over India's captaincy choice for the home series. Scheduled from January 11 to 17, this series marks India's final T20I assignment before the World Cup in June.
Previous reports had mentioned Suryakumar Yadav's unavailability for the series due to an ankle injury suffered while fielding against South Africa in Johannesburg, with a suspected tear requiring a six-week recovery period. The recent PTI report indicates a low probability of Hardik's swift recovery from his ankle injury. Consequently, he is anticipated to be absent not only for the Afghanistan series but also for the entire IPL 2023 season.
"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," quoted by Hindustan Times.
Hardik Pandya will be hard to replace
The likely non-availability of Hardik Pandya presents a substantial hurdle for both Team India and Mumbai Indians. In the event of Rohit Sharma extending his break, selectors might turn to him for captaincy against Afghanistan. Another option could be Ravindra Jadeja, who served as vice-captain during the South Africa T20I series, but his workload management, especially with five Tests against England, demands careful consideration.
An additional alternative is Ruturaj Gaikwad, but he is sidelined due to a finger injury, further complicating the captaincy decision. Mumbai Indians had recently appointed Hardik as their captain for the IPL 2024 season, bringing an end to Rohit's ten-year captaincy tenure, during which he led the team to five titles. Hardik, traded back to Mumbai from Gujarat Titans in an all-cash deal last month, is set to lead the team in the upcoming season.