IND vs SL: Rohit Sharma Provides 'Positive' Update On Hardik Pandya's Fitness

India National Cricket Team captain Rohit Sharma has provided a positive update on the fitness of the star all-rounder and vice-captain, Hardik Pandya ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Sri Lanka National Cricket Team.

India National Cricket Team will take on the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on November 2.

The Men In Blue have been performing quite well in the ongoing edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup and are on a 6-match winning streak. However, India sustained a massive blow as all-rounder Hardik Pandya got injured and missed a couple of matches, with the 30-year-old set to miss a few more matches in the ICC World Cup 2023.

Notably, he picked up an ankle injury in the match against Bangladesh when he tried to stop a shot with his right foot during his follow-through. He then walked off the field with the injury and wasn’t able to take part in the rest of the match.

To deal with Hardik’s absence in the playing XI, the team management replaced Shardul Thakur with Mohammed Shami and Suryakumar Yadav came in as a replacement for the injured all-rounder.

We are monitoring him on a day-to-day basis – Rohit Sharma on Hardik Pandya

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, India skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that Hardik will miss out on the Sri Lanka clash and he is being monitored on a day-to-day basis.

“It’s been very positive, I can’t call it rehab. But whatever he has gone through, the procedures at the NCA, it’s been quite positive,” Rohit said confirming that Hardik won’t be available for selection against Sri Lanka.

“But it’s that kind of an injury where we have to see every day how much he has recovered and how many percent fit he is. We have to constantly monitor how much he is bowling and how much he is batting.

“On a day-to-day basis, we have to take that call because, in the World Cup, there is a match every 3-4 days. We are looking into that as well. With the way his recovery is progressing, we will hopefully see him on the field soon. That’s all I can say now,” he added.

While talking about the playing XI combination for the Sri Lanka clash, Rohit said that he is keeping all the options open and will field the best possible combination as per the demand of the conditions.

“All sorts of combinations possible, am keeping my options open, If the situation demands 3 spinners, I will play 3 spinners. We will see, whatever is necessary for the combination, we will do,” Rohit said.

Pandya has been undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru since being out of action and according to some reports he will also miss the match against South Africa and will eventually return to the playing XI against Netherlands on November 12.