"Rishabh Pant Was An Important Part Of Our Plans But Now..."- Hardik Pandya

Indian Cricket Team’s audacious wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant had a dreadful accident on 30th December (Friday). The left-handed batter was in his Mercedes SUV and was heading back to his hometown Roorkee when his car crashed into a divider. He has been cleared out of danger but has a lot of injuries.

The selection panel didn’t name Rishabh Pant against Sri Lanka white ball series. The batter was supposed to be in National Cricket Academy (NCA) for Strength & Conditioning for the upcoming Australia Test Series which is slated in February.

Hardik Pandya on Rishabh Pant

Hardik Pandya was having an interaction with the media ahead of the 1st T20I match against Sri Lanka. “What happened is very unfortunate. As a team we wish him all the best. Our love and prayers are always with him and we hope he manages a speedy recovery. He was very important but everyone knows where the situation stands. A lot of people can get an opportunity. If Rishabh was there it would have made a big difference because of the kind of player he is. Now he is not there so we will see what the future has in store for us,” said Hardik Pandya.

Hardik Pandya (Image Credits: Getty Images)

Conundrum for Management

The Men in Blue has a golden chance to stamp the authority against Sri Lanka and take the revenge for the 2022 Asia Cup defeat. Skipper Hardik Pandya would be well aware of the fact that Sri Lanka would spin a web as they have got a lot of variety in their attack which can bamboozle the opposition.

It would be interesting to see whether Sanju Samson gets a game as the batter has been around the group for quite some time. The management should play both Sanju Samson & Ishan Kishan as it will strengthen India’s middle order which looks a bit fragile.

Also Read: IND vs SL: ‘When I Got Injured Again, Rahul Dravid Said…” – Shivam Mavi