Asia Cup 2022: "Time to claim and seal his T20I spot" - Fans react as Rishabh Pant replaces Hardik Pandya in India's playing XI against Hong Kong

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been rested for Team India's Asia Cup 2022 clash against Hong Kong this evening (August 31) at the Dubai International Stadium.

India's keeper-batter Rishabh Pant replaced Hardik Pandya in the lineup for the contest. He was excluded from playing XI for the side's opening fixture against Pakistan, which they won by five runs on August 28.

Speaking at the toss, skipper Rohit Sharma suggested that Pandya was rested for the game as part of his workload management. Several fans took to social media to react to the news of Pant coming in place of the all-rounder.

Here are some of the reactions:

Pant wasn't dropped !
He will and shall never be dropped.
I love Rishabh Pant.
We love Rishabh Pant.
It is his time to claim and seal his T20I spot

Make it count bruh @RishabhPant17 🛐

Rishabh Pant in playing XI today, fans prayers answered 😍 #INDvhk

@BCCI Aa gya Sher wapas,pant aa gya

@BCCI Yes pant deserves to play

#RishabhPant is back 🥳
#INDvHKG https://t.co/UvZ7RJEErc

#HardikPandya
India should protect #HardikPandya and #Jaspritbumrah till WC.They are key to win WC..........

@BCCI Good decision by the @BCCI considering that he is an important asset to the team❤️ but i could have gone with @HoodaOnFire instead of @RishabhPant17 but anyways it looks a good team👍 COME ON INDIAAA🇮🇳!!

The captain rested Hardik Pandya for upcoming clash on sunday, smart move as the weather and humidity are making high chances of injury.

Hardik Pandya team se nikal gaya to pura team unbalanced dikhne laga. 🐼

Such impact of this man 😎👑

@DrRihabOfficial @iShaheenAfridi @MuhammadWasim77 @iNaseemShah Yes.. They are saving Pandya and hum Netherlands k khilaaf bhi full strength say jaatay hain..

India is so serious about their relationship with Pakistan that they dropped Hardik Pandya just because he performed against them. ❤

@JinuSivans Hardik is rested!! We cannot afford him to get injured against minnows like HK !! 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ It’s the right move!!

@MyFreakyTweets @FarziCricketer Not defending rohit but hardik needed rest.. he's the mvp of our side and his workload needs to be managed properly. What's going on with klr is still suprising.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong captain Nizakat Khan won the toss and elected to bowl first on the surface. The Men in Blue will seal their spot in the Super Four stage by securing a victory in this encounter.

It is worth mentioning that this will be the first T20I match between the two nations. They last took on each other at the Asia Cup in 2018, where Hong Kong gave India a tough fight, losing the ODI game by just 26 runs.

Hardik Pandya starred with both bat and ball in the contest against Pakistan

Hardik Pandya was a key architect in India's thrilling five-wicket win over arch-rivals Pakistan in their first match at the Asia Cup 2022 on August 28.

He bagged three important wickets and conceded just 25 runs against the Babar Azam-led side. Pandya also contributed significantly with the bat to help India chase down Pakistan's total of 147 in the last-over thriller.

The comeback is greater than the setback 🇮🇳 https://t.co/KlnD4GZ4ZO

The swashbuckler remained unbeaten on 33 off just 17 deliveries. He showcased great composure even when the equation came down to six off three.

The right-handed batter hit a glorious maximum over the long-on region against left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz to finish off the game in style for his team.