ICC World Cup 2023: Ankle injury rules Pandya out of World Cup, Prasidh Krishna to replace him

Pandya had hurt his left ankle while fielding his own bowling in the game against Bangladesh in Pune on October 19.

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya on November 4 declared unfit to participate in the ongoing Cricket World Cup 2023 due to an ankle injury, as confirmed by the International Cricket Council (ICC). He suffered the injury when he twisted his ankle during India's match against Bangladesh at the MCA Stadium in Pune on October 19.

Consequently, he was not able to take part in India's subsequent matches against New Zealand, England, and Sri Lanka. Pacer Prasidh Krishna, who has featured in 17 one-day internationals (ODIs), has been selected as Pandya's replacement in the Indian squad. The replacement of a player necessitates the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the player can be formally included in the squad.

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The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 includes Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager Cricket and ETC Chair), Chris Tetley (ICC Head of Events), Hemang Amin (Acting CEO - BCCI), Gaurav Saxena (General Manager Operations, BCCI), Russel Arnold, and Simon Doull (Independent Representatives).

Pandya played a crucial role in the team's balance as a seam-bowling all-rounder. In the four matches he participated in during India's World Cup campaign, he took five wickets. He also had an opportunity to bat in India's opening match against Australia in Chennai.

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Earlier this week. India secured a dominant victory over Sri Lanka, winning by a margin of 302 runs, which enabled them to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup. India set a formidable target by scoring 357/8 and then bowled out Sri Lanka for just 55 runs.

At present, India holds the top position on the points table with seven points from seven matches. Their upcoming match will be against South Africa, who are in second place, on November 5.