India suffered a huge blow on Thursday as Hardik Pandya injured his left ankle while bowling and was taken off the field against Bangladesh in the Match 17 of the ICC World Cup 2023 in Pune.
Pandya has been taken for scans and is being monitored by the Indian team's medical staff. He won't be fielding or bowling any more in the match but he will come out to bat if required.
"Hardik Pandya's injury is being assessed at the moment and he is being taken for scans," the BCCI said in a statement.
Pandya suffers an injury again
Pandya came on to bowl in the 8th over but got injured while trying to stop the ball on his follow-through after Litton Das played a straight drive.
He fell awkwardly on his back while trying to intercept the ball with his right foot. Pandya was clutching his left ankle and right leg after dropping to the ground.
The Indian team physio attended to Pandya for a long time on the field, wrapping up the problem areas with tape. He got up and tried to run at full speed but couldn't and started limping on the field.
Pandya eventually decided to go back to the dressing room to get further treatment. He had bowled three balls in the 8th over which was then completed by Virat Kohli amid loud cheers from the spectators present at the MCA stadium.
Unchanged India to play with a bowler short
This happened after Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first on a flat track. The visitors are missing their skipper Shakib Al Hasan, who is recuperating from a left quadriceps niggle.
India are unchanged for this game but the injury to Pandya means they will be a bowler short.
India XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Bangladesh XI: Litton Das, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto(c), Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim(w), Mahmudullah, Nasum Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud, Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam.
