Team India suffered a major setback as Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the remaining matches of the Cricket World Cup 2023 due to a ligament tear in his right ankle. In response to this, head coach Rahul Dravid explained the reasoning behind replacing Pandya with promising but inexperienced Prasidh Krishna.
Pandya sustained the injury while trying to save a ball off his own bowling during India’s win over Bangladesh. He underwent scans and missed several matches for the country. Krishna was added to the squad as a replacement for the all-rounder after receiving approval from the tournament’s Event Technical Committee.
Speaking about Pandya’s absence and the decision to bring in Krishna, coach Dravid stated that the intention was to strengthen India’s fast bowling resources. He mentioned that the squad already had enough slow bowlers and the addition of Krishna would provide more options in the fast bowling department.
Dravid further explained that the team recognized the need for backup players in case of injuries or niggles, especially considering the specific combination of three fast bowlers and two spinners that they had been using recently. He emphasized that this backup allows them to explore different combinations as well.
Prasidh Krishna, 28 years old, has played 17 ODIs for India and has taken 29 wickets at an economy rate of 5.60. His best performance in the 50-over format came against West Indies last year when he claimed figures of 4/12. In his recent appearance against Australia, he dismissed David Warner and conceded 45 runs in 9 overs.
Krishna will be available for selection in the upcoming match against South Africa, but he will face tough competition from the pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj, who have been performing exceptionally well for the team.
With Pandya’s absence, India will have to rely on their backup options to maintain their strong form in the tournament.
