 "World Cup 2023: Hardik Pandya ruled out of tournament; Prasidh Krishna named replacement")
India have been dealt with a massive blow to their 2023 World Cup campaign after star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was on Saturday ruled out of the remainder of tournament due to an ankle injury. World Cup 2023: News | Schedule | Results | Points table Pandya had injured his left ankle while bowling in India’s World Cup game against Bangladesh on 19 October, and has not played in the tournament since. Pacer Prasidh Krishna has been named as Pandya’s replacement for the rest of the World Cup. Prasidh’s inclusion to the squad has been approved by the Event Technical Committee, the ICC said on Saturday. Hardik had taken five wickets from three games in the World Cup, before hurting his ankle against Bangladesh. Hardik had twisted his left ankle while trying to prevent a shot and fell on the ground, midway through his first over. It was Virat Kohli who had completed the over for Hardik.
Mohammed Shami, who had not played the first four matches of the World Cup, then came into the playing XI for the game against New Zealand in Dharamsala, where he finished with figures of 5/54. He followed that up with figures of 4/22 and 5/18 against England and Sri Lanka respectively. Prasidh, meanwhile, last turned out for India during the three-match ODI series against Australia at home in September, just before the World Cup. He had taken three wickets from two games. Prasidh is coming off a stint with Karnataka at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy, having taken five wickets from as many games. Prasidh, too, had returned from a prolonged absence due to injury when India took on Ireland in a three-match T20I series in August. He had taken four wickets in that series, and went onto play the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, where he only played the game against Bangladesh, finishing with figures of 1/43. Prasidh has so far taken 29 wickets from 17 ODIs. India, meanwhile, were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the World Cup following a thumping 302-run win over Sri Lanka in Mumbai on Thursday. The victory helped India maintain their 100 per cent record in this tournament, with seven wins in as many games. The Men in Blue next face South Africa in Kolkata on Sunday before rounding off the league stage against Netherlands on 12 November.