Image Credit- ICC
Four days after the ODI World Cup, on November 23,
India will play Australia in a five-match Twenty20 International series. Hardik
Pandya will not be in the Indian side for this series. On November 15, the day Rohit Sharma’s team
plays New Zealand in the Mumbai World Cup semi-finals, India will select their
T20I series squad.
It is understood that the BCCI medical staff
recommended six to eight weeks of recuperation for Hardik, who tore a ligament
in his left ankle during the World Cup league encounter against Bangladesh on
October 19. At first, the medical staff was hopeful that Hardik would be well
enough to participate in India’s final league game on November 12 against the
Netherlands. But the swelling did not go down, which resulted in pain during
the fitness tests Hardik underwent before he was eventually ruled out of the tournament,
with Prasidh Krishna named his replacement.
It is anticipated that most of the World Cup roster
will be rested, with the majority of the players who competed in the October
Asian Games likely to be included in the Australia T20Is side. Ruturaj Gaikwad
was the team captain for India, who has taken home the gold medal from the
Hangzhou competition. That team included players like Jitesh Sharma, Rinku
Singh, Tilak Varma, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
The senior Indian team’s workload during the last two
months, during which they participated in the Asia Cup and the World Cup, will
be taken into consideration by the selection panel, which is chaired by former
all-rounder Ajit Agarkar.
It is also understood that VVS Laxman is set to be the
head coach for the T20I series against Australia. It could not be confirmed
what the BCCI plans to do about Rahul Dravid whose two-year contract will end
after the World Cup.