The star all-rounder might miss the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan and IPL 2024 due to a prolonged recovery period from his ankle injury sustained during the ODI World Cup 2023. This could be a big setback for Mumbai Indians (MI) as they recently announced him as the new captain for the IPL 2024 season, replacing Rohit Sharma. There is no update on Hardik’s fitness status, and there remains a big question mark on his availability before the end of IPL, according to a BCCI source. The injury also caused him to miss recent white-ball series against Australia and South Africa.
Last month, Pandya was traded to Mumbai Indians after being initially retained by Gujarat Titans ahead of the IPL Auction 2024. This was a big celebration for fans as he returned to the team with whom he has won four IPL seasons. His return also marked the end of Rohit Sharma’s ten-year stint as an MI skipper.
It has been reported that Pandya had set a condition of returning to Mumbai Indians only if he is offered the captaincy role.