It had been a rather bizarre training session for Team India on the eve of their crucial World Cup encounter against New Zealand. Before India’s evening session in Dharamsala, Rahul Dravid had hinted that Suryakumar Yadav would likely fill the middle-order batting role in the absence of Hardik Pandya. However, later in the evening, Dravid had cause for concern as Suryakumar Yadav suffered a painful blow to his right forearm. Suryakumar, who was slated to make his World Cup debut and bat at No. 6 against New Zealand, was struck just above his right wrist by a throwdown from Raghavendra.
He had to leave the nets due to the pain and received treatment with an ice pack. There were no plans for a precautionary X-Ray, as he is reportedly in stable condition. However, to add to India’s woes, Ishan Kishan, the only other batter in the 15-member squad, had to cut his net session short after being stung by a honey bee. On top of this, Hardik Pandya is still recovering from a left ankle injury sustained while bowling in the previous match against Bangladesh in Pune and is being monitored by the BCCI medical team at the National Cricket Academy.
Dring the press conference, the coach hinted that there’s a choice to be made between Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan for Hardik’s role; however, one statement strongly favored Suryakumar’s chances, as Dravid deemed him more suitable as a finisher.
“I mean, it is nice to have Ishan. And he’s been playing well. He’s a left-hander. If you are looking for someone a little bit higher up the order, then maybe we might go with Ishan.”
Given that Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul have already secured their slots, it’s unlikely that Kishan will fit at No. 6, according to Dravid’s statement. But with Suryakumar being hit on his forearm and the speculations over his fitness, India might be forced to play Ishan – if he feels healthy enough to take the field following the bee-sting.
