What's the story?
Indian batsman, Manish Pandey is now targeting his return to the Indian team for the ODI series against West Indies. Pandey could not be a part of the Champions Trophy owing to his side-strain injury.
He expressed his disappointment about not being a part of the Champions Trophy but is confident that he will recover soon and resume his training withing a week or two.
In case you didn't know...
Pandey is suffered from a muscle tear on his left leg. He sustained this injury while playing in the practice session for Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of their eliminator match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2017.
The injury meant he couldn’t be part of the Indian Champions Trophy squad and was subsequently replaced by Dinesh Karthik. Pandey performed well for KKR during the IPL but has not been able to nail down a spot in India’s limited-overs outfit.
The heart of the matter
The muscle strain cost the stylish player the chance to be a part of his maiden Champions Trophy. India are the defending champions and considering the form Pandey was in, he could have been a key part of the squad.
India will play five ODI games and a T20 International in West Indies post the Champions Trophy which Pandey hopes to feature in. On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik – Pandey’s replacement - was impressive for the team during the warm-ups and is expected to be a part of the playing XI for the Champions Trophy.
What's next?
Although Pandey is hopeful of his return to the Indian ODI squad, it largely depends upon the selectors. If the board decides to bet on the youngsters during the India vs West Indies series scheduled to start later in June, he still has a shot. However, if the board chooses to send a full-strength team for the aforementioned series, Pandey will be forced to cool his heels for a longer time.
Author's take
Manish Pandey is undoubtedly a promising player and his IPL records substantiate the confidence the team has bestowed on him. However, barring his century against Australia in Sydney, the Karnataka-boy has not been in any sort of run-scoring form for the Indian team.
Having said that, the selectors have earmarked him for the future and it would be interesting to see if he makes the cut once he attains full fitness. His inclusion in the Indian cricket team will bolster the middle order and provide for a lot of choices with respect to the role of the players.
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