As the Indian team gears up for a challenging white ball tour Down Under against the Aussies, the squad announcement that took place today has given fans a lot to think and talk about. The most shocking announcement was undoubtedly the replacement of Shubman Gill as the ODI Captain in place of veteran Rohit Sharma. But almost as shocking was the exclusion of two stars, Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant, from the ODI and T20I squads.
Also Read: Shubman Gill replaces Rohit Sharma as India's new ODI captain
But why are these two vital cogs in India's machine not on the plane to Australia? The answers possibly lie in 2 unfortunate tales of injury.
Let's start with Hardik Pandya, the team's dynamic all-rounder. His absence was confirmed directly by the chairman of the selection committees, Ajit Agarkar, who shed light on the situation. Agarkar stated, "At the moment, he’s (Hardik Pandya) not going to be fit for Australia due to the injury he picked up before the finals of the Asia Cup." This would be a huge blow to the team, as his impact on the team is massive in both areas of the match. He adds balance to the team, which would've been crucial against the Aussies. "Once he starts his rehab, we’ll get a better idea of the timeline," Agarkar further added.
Rishabh Pant, India's pocket dynamo, on the other hand, did not receive any official clarification like that of Hardik Pandya's. While Agarkar didn't comment on Pant's absence stretches way back to a daring moment during the 4th Test against England in July, when he fractured his foot trying to pull off an audacious reverse sweep against Chris Woakes. The next day, a defiant Rishabh Pant walked back in the middle and battled through pain to score a brave 54.
Since then, he has been out of action, missing the final test, the Asia Cup, and the ongoing two-test series against the West Indies. Now with the 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is tour of Australia also off the table, the wait for Pant's return continues. Fans will be hoping to see him, in all likelihood, return against South Africa for the first Test on November 14.
