File photo of Suryakumar Yadav© AFP
Suryakumar Yadav is all set to miss the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan starting January 11 due to an ankle injury sustained during the recent series against South Africa. The 31-year-old twisted his ankle while fielding against South Africa in Johannesburg and there could be a suspected tear that could take six weeks to heal. “Surya has reported to NCA for rehab work and the Medical Science team as of now has ruled him injured. He won’t be able to play against Afghanistan which starts in three weeks time. Since he is unlikely to be selected for Tests, he will possibly play for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy in February to check his fitness before playing in the IPL,” a BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.
It has also been known that chances of Hardik Pandya recovering from his ankle injury looks unlikely at the moment.
“There is no update on Hardik’s fitness status as of now and one can say there remains a big question mark of him being available before the end of IPL,” the source added.
With Surya or Hardik unavailable, the selectors might need to ask Rohit Sharma to lead the side unless they want to look forward and appoint Ravindra Jadeja, the stop gap leader for a series.
But Jadeja will play all five Tests against England and will need to take care of his workload management.
Even Asian Games skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has broken his finger and will be out for the series.
Jitesh Sharma to keep wickets against Afghanistan
Ishan Kishan recently pulled out of the South Africa Tests due to “personal reasons” and there are reports of keeper-batter prioritising mental health after being on the road for past one year.
There are talks that he might not be available for Afghanistan and Jitesh Sharma will keep wickets.
“The BCCI respects a player’s privacy and no one will ask Kishan the reason why he decided to skip the Tests. May be once Rahul was announced as a keeper in Tests, he didn’t want to hang around. It does take a toll, if you are not picked consistently.”
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Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav will miss the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan due to an ankle injury sustained during the recent series against South Africa. Yadav twisted his ankle while fielding in Johannesburg and it is suspected that he may have a tear, which could take up to six weeks to heal. The 31-year-old has reported to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for rehabilitation, and the medical team has confirmed his injury. As a result, Yadav will not be able to participate in the Afghanistan series and is unlikely to be selected for the Test matches. He is expected to play for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in February to assess his fitness before the Indian Premier League (IPL). Meanwhile, there are also doubts about the availability of Hardik Pandya, who is currently recovering from an ankle injury. The selectors may consider appointing Rohit Sharma or Ravindra Jadeja as the interim captain for the Afghanistan series. Additionally, Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain of the Asian Games team, has also sustained a finger injury and will be unavailable for the series. Ishan Kishan, who recently withdrew from the South Africa Tests for personal reasons, may also miss the Afghanistan series, with Jitesh Sharma expected to take over wicketkeeping duties.
