Hardik Pandya to miss Sri Lanka ODIs. The five-match T20 series against Zimbabwe has come to an end, and India won the series 4-1. Now, the Men in Blue will travel to Sri Lanka for three ODIs and three T20Is. The tour will begin with three T20Is on July 27, and the ODI leg will start on August 2. Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has requested a break from the ODIs.
That means India will be without their main all-rounder in the series. It will leave India with no choice but to find out his replacement. So who can be his replacement and fill the role of an all-rounder? In this article, we will talk about three players who can replace Hardik Pandya in Sri Lanka ODIs.
Three players who can replace Hardik Pandya for ODIs vs Sri Lanka
3. Nitish Reddy
Nitish Reddy had a spectacular IPL 2024. He played 11 innings for Sunrisers Hyderabad and scored 303 runs at an average of 33.67 and a strike rate of 142.92. He also picked up three wickets. He showed promise to be a good pace-bowling all-rounder. As a result, he was picked for the Zimbabwe tour, but due to injury, he couldn’t join the team. But he is totally fit now and has played in the Andhra Premier League. Hence, Nitish Reddy can be a good option to replace Hardik Pandya.
2. Abhishek Sharma
Abhishek Sharma also had a pretty decent tour of Zimbabwe. He scored a century and also picked up a couple of wickets. The left-hander can be a pretty handy spinner on the spinning track in Sri Lanka. He is also a good batter who can bat in any position. Abhishek can be a decent option if India need a player who can bat and ball and contribute well. He is likely to be part of the T20I series against Sri Lanka.
1. Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube has been coming off a pretty decent season and has done well for India’s T20I side in the last couple of months. He will surely be part of the T20I team, but India can also pick him to replace Hardik Pandya in the squad. Dube can bowl a few overs and bats in the middle order and is a handy seam-bowling all-rounder. That’s where he can come in place of Hardik Pandya.
