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India’s flawless streak in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has suffered a significant setback with the announcement that star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be sidelined for the remainder of the tournament due to his persistent ankle injury sustained while bowling against Bangladesh in Pune last month.
Despite efforts to recover, the 30-year-old cricketer has been unable to regain fitness in time for the upcoming matches. To fill the void left by Pandya, the inexperienced fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has been called up to the squad, following approval by the tournament’s Event Technical Committee.
Krishna, who has limited international experience with 19 white-ball appearances, was last seen in action against Australia, where he impressively claimed the wicket of David Warner, finishing with figures of 1/45 from nine overs just before the World Cup. Although he has displayed potential in the past with 33 international wickets, he faces tough competition from established bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj for a spot in India’s pace attack.
The approval of Krishna as India’s replacement player means he is eligible for selection in the crucial World Cup clash against South Africa scheduled for Sunday.
Both India and South Africa currently hold the top two positions in the World Cup standings, making the outcome of their match in Kolkata pivotal in determining the leader of the group stage.
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