Why is Hardik Pandya not playing today’s IND vs SL match of the 2023 World Cup?

Indian all-rounder and vice-captain Hardik Pandya will miss today's 2023 World Cup match against Sri Lanka as he continues to recover from his ankle injury.

He twisted his left ankle while trying to stop a ball in his follow-through against Bangladesh at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. Hardik was rushed to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore and a lot of contrasting reports floated around the extent of his injury and recovery time since then.

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“I don’t want to use the word rehabilitation," skipper Rohit Sharma said while speaking on the development in a pre-match press conference. "Whatever news we are getting from the NCA is all positive. Hardik is doing well but it is an injury which needs to be monitored on a daily basis. We need to see how much he could bat, how much he could bowl and then decide."

“He is not available for the game here, that’s all I can say now. But overall the news about his recovery is positive,” he added.

The latest reports have suggested that the team management doesn't want to rush Hardik back. Instead, they want to give him more time to recover until India's last league match against the Netherlands on November 12.

Although he's a crucial cog in the team's balance, India haven't missed him a lot. The hosts registered comfortable wins over last ODI World Cup finalists New Zealand and England since his injury.

While Mohammed Shami has chipped in brilliantly as the fifth bowler, Suryakumar Yadav has done well in the finisher's role.

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India's playing 11 without Hardik Pandya vs Sri Lanka

India have gone with the same team as the previous two matches.

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj.

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