Injury woes continues for India team as star player is likely to miss Afghanistan series

The injury woes continue to haunt the Indian team as Suryakumar Yadav is the latest add-on to this list. Suryakumar faces a significant setback in India's 2024 T20 World Cup preparations due to an ankle injury that may sideline him for seven weeks. It is reported that he has sustained a Grade II tear in his ankle. In addition to it, he was also the stand-in skipper for India in the recent T20I series against Australia and South Africa. 

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As per the report, the current T20I batter underwent an ankle scan last week upon returning to India from South Africa, where he suffered an ankle twist in the third T20I in Johannesburg. The severity of the injury is such that his absence from the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan remains uncertain. This is also the last series for India before heading into the 2024 T20 World Cup. Notably, players will participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) before the prestigious tournament hosted by the West Indies and the USA.

The incident occurred in the third over of the South African innings. Suryakumar, who had earlier scored his fourth T20I century that day twisted his ankle while picking up and throwing the ball after chasing it down. Physios assisted him off the field and it was vice-captain Ravindra Jadeja took charge for the remainder of the game. India secured a comprehensive 106-run victory, with Suryakumar earning the player of the match award for his century. During the post-match presentation ceremony, he reassured that he was good and he was able to walk so it is not that serious.

Suryakumar did well in the absence of Hardik Pandya

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Suryakumar took on the captaincy role in the absence of Hardik Pandya, who was recovering from an ankle injury sustained in India's match against Bangladesh in the 2023 World Cup. There's no clarity on Pandya's potential return for the series against Afghanistan, set to commence on January 11.

In stellar form upon his T20I return after the 2023 World Cup, Suryakumar joined an elite club alongside Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as the third Indian batter to surpass 2000 runs in the format. His exceptional achievement solidifies his status as a key contributor to India's T20 success. The star India batter's century at the Wanderers against South Africa equalled him with Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell for the most centuries in T20Is.