Hardik Pandya's participation in the ODI World Cup 2023 was cut short due to an ankle injury that he suffered during India's group stage match against Bangladesh on 19th October 2023. Pandya missed out on the rest of the tournament and was also out of action from any of the series India played after that. The all-rounder is now all set to lead Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2024.
Ahead of the 17th edition of the Indian cash-rich league, Pandya has opened up on his ankle injury that ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament. Speaking to Star Sports, Pandya said that he initially told the management that he would return in five days but then a recurrence came and he had to miss out from the tournament.
"I don't start preparations for a tournament 2-3 months before. The preparation for the World Cup began a year ago. I planned my routines. This was a freak injury. Very few people know that my injury was extended because when I got injured, it was meant to be for 25 days only. But I pushed. I was like, 'I had come back'. When I left the team, I told the management, 'main 5 din me vaapis aa raha hu' (I will return in five days)," he told Star Sports.
He then said that he wanted to be with the team even if there was a one per cent chance despite risking himself being out of action for a longer period. "I got injections done on my ankles at three different places, I had to remove blood from my ankle because the swelling became that much. In a way, I didn't want to give up. At one point, I was aware if I might keep pushing, I might be away for a long time. If there was a 1 per cent chance of being with the team, I would," he added.
Pandya said that the injury aggravated which resulted in his recovery being longer than once expected. "When I was pushing, I had a recurrence where my injury extended to three months. I wasn't able to walk, but I was even trying to run. I was on painkillers, I was trying to make a comeback. The biggest pride for me is to play for the country, and the World Cup at home was my baby. I missed out on that, and it is something that is going to be heavy on the heart," the all-rounder added.
Pandya missed out on the remainder of the tournament and did not play in the subsequent three T20I series too - one each against Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan. He is now set to return back to action in the IPL as he gears up for the T20 World Cup 2024 in June.
