NEW DELHI: Having been out of the action since the middle of the ODI World Cup 2023,
Hardik Pandya
is back to intense training in order to regain full fitness ahead of the
IPL 2024
.
The all-rounder, who injured his left ankle while trying to stop a powerful hit off his own bowling during a World Cup match against Bangladesh, posted a workout video on his Instagram handle, showcasing his high intensity gym session.
"Only one direction to go, forward," read the caption of the video.
Pandya was not part of the recently-concluded South Africa tour. He has not been included in the T20I series against Afghanistan, where
Rohit Sharma
will lead the Indian team in the shortest format after a hiatus of 14 months.
While Rohit's chances of leading India in the
T20 World Cup
has considerably brightened, the development comes across as a big blow to Hardik's captaincy ambitions at the global event in June.
However, Pandya has replaced Rohit as
Mumbai Indians skipper for IPL 2024 after he made a return to the franchise, following a high-profile trade from Gujarat Titans.
Hardik contributed to Mumbai's glorious run in the IPL, playing a key role in the team's triumph between 2015 and 2021 before leaving to captain the Titans. He led them to the title on its IPL debut in 2022 and to a runners-up finish earlier this year.
English (US) ·