India’s stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya has said that the team will miss Shreyas Iyer during the ODI series against Australia but claimed that they will need to start finding solutions. Shreyas was ruled out of the three matches due to the recurrence of a back issue.
India’s stand-in captain Hardik Pandya has said that the team will miss Shreyas Iyer during the ODI series against Australia but feels that they will need to find solutions quickly.
Shreyas has been an integral part of the ODI setup over the past one year, as he ended 2022 as India’s highest run-getter in the format. However, a recurrence of a back issue has sidelined the Indian batter from the upcoming series against the Aussies.
Shreyas could be out for a long period and his participation in the IPL also seems to be in doubt at the moment.
Speaking ahead of the first ODI, as quoted by PTI, Pandya said that the team is hoping for the best in terms of Shreyas’ condition.
“Obviously, there is no timeline but we have to hope for the best. I have been in that situation where the back could be a problem,” said Pandya.
The stand-in skipper said that Shreyas’ absence will have an impact on the team during the series against Australia and they would miss his services. However, Pandya stated that they will need to find solutions if the batter is out for a long time.
It is going to impact, obviously we are going to miss him but we will have to slowly start finding solutions if he is not around (for a long time). “If he is around he is more than welcome, but if he is not, then there is a lot of time to think about it and see how we can go forward,” said Pandya.
“Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) hasn’t been around for quite some time now. The bowling group has been doing a decent job. They’re all experienced now, the number of games they have played.”
“Having Jassi makes a massive difference but to be very honest, we aren’t much bothered because the guys who have taken the role of Jassi, I am quite confident they’ll be doing very well. It gives us good confidence,” said Pandya.
