Vice-captain Hardik Pandya is still sidelined for India’s World Cup match against Sri Lanka on Thursday, according to skipper Rohit Sharma, who also said the all-rounder’s ankle injury is healing nicely.
During the hosts’ seven-wicket victory against Bangladesh, Pandya was injured when he attempted to block a hit with his foot off his bowl. He was not present when India defeated England and New Zealand.
“He had a favorable post-injury surgery. He is now unavailable for tomorrow’s game, Rohit informed the media at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. “Hopefully, we’ll see him as soon as possible.”
After winning all six round-robin matches, Rohit’s team has lived up to their billing as the favorites for the 50-over showcase tournament. They will now play Sri Lanka to guarantee a berth in the last four.
Two of the six games have been won by Sri Lanka. If conditions favor slow bowlers, Rohit stated that the hosts will not think twice about fielding three front-line spinners.
“Any combination is feasible,” Rohit remarked. “You’ve noticed that the spinners are stopping the run flow in the middle of this competition.
“I’m remaining open-minded… Our spinners are really skilled in these circumstances.”
Joe Root of England has also made a lot of noise over the tournament’s worsening air quality in Mumbai, citing respiratory difficulties following his team’s 229-run loss to South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium.
Leading the local Indian Premier League team, Rohit is a Mumbai native. He had previously shared a photo of the Mumbai smog from his aircraft on social media.
“In an ideal world, you don’t want a situation like this,” Rohit stated. “I feel that those worried are doing everything possible to prevent such situations.
“But, looking at our future generation—your kids, my kids—they must get to live without any fear… We have to look after our future generation.”
