3 Players Who Can Replace Injured Hardik Pandya In the Playing XI for the Rest Of Asia Cup
The flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been deemed unfit to participate further in the Cup after suffering an injury while playing against Pakistan in India's second game of the ongoing Asia Cup. Along with Hardik Pandya the bowlers, Shardul Thakur and Axar Patel also miss out the tournament due to unfortunate injuries. The trio has been replaced by Ravindra Jadeja, Siddharth Kaul, and Deepak Chahar.
Of the three, Ravindra Jadeja is the lone all-around option available for the team. Due to the absence of Hardik Pandya, India will likely be forced to get out of their favored 4 frontline bowlers along with a pace bowling all-rounder team composition. The team management will look to find the ideal balance in the XI for the remaining games as they would want to continue their winning run.
Rohit Sharma has to look into the available options and decide who suits best for the conditions in UAE. Kedar Jadhav in the absence of Hardik Pandya during the last game fulfilled the fifth bowler's role to perfection as he bowled 9 economical overs and picked up 3 crucial wickets including that of Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed. But he may not be successful every time and can not be relied upon for bowling 10 overs regularly, so the Indian team think-tank should look at potential all-round options available to replace Hardik Pandya in the XI for the rest of Asia Cup.
Here are 3 players who might be slotted at number 7 in the upcoming matches.
Notable Mention - Khaleel Ahmed might also be considered for the spot given his good performance in the first match but it would weaken the batting when the team plays against quality sides.
#3 Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar rose to prominence after a fruitful season for the Chennai Super Kings during their victorious campaign in this year's IPL. He performed consistently throughout the season and picked up wickets regularly at the start of the innings for his IPL franchise. He has also played some useful cameos at the back end of the innings.
He first came into the limelight when he destroyed the Hyderabad batting lineup on his first-class debut in a Ranji game where he announced his arrival by taking 8 wickets. Since then he has been consistent in the domestic circuit and after a successful stint in the IPL this year he earned himself a berth in the Indian team for the T20 series in England where he replaced injured Jasprit Bumrah.
He is a skillful swing bowler and has the ability to hit some big hits. So If India thinks they need a pace bowling option for replacing Hardik Pandya, Deepak Chahar might fit the bill.