Fans might have been stunned to learn that India's star cricketer, Hardik Pandya, is set to miss the three matches of the ODI series against Sri Lanka. According to sources, the 30-year-old cricketer would be missing the three ODIs against Sri Lanka owing to personal reasons. Now, this would certainly spark endless debate. The star all-rounder is likely to be picked in the T20I squad.

It has been anticipated that the Indian teams would be announced on Tuesday. It would be intriguing to see who is selected to take charge of the T20I squad. In addition, Gautam Gambhir will take over as India's new head coach in this series.

Undoubtedly, Team India went through an immense setback with Hardik Pandya's unavailability from the ODI series. The team has a well-balanced mix of bowling options and batting depth owing to his all-around ability. Since Hardik isn't available, the team will have to look into other options to substitute for his absence.

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Hardik Pandya's unavailibility offer a chance for up-and-coming talent to take the spotlight

This scenario could also offer a chance for up-and-coming talent to take the spotlight and make their mark on the international stage. Now that one of his main players is out of the picture, Gambhir, who repeatedly highlighted the need to have senior players available, must come up with a plan. 

The middle-order batter continues to be a key player in India's future hopes, despite the fact that he's unavailable for the ODI series. Hardik Pandya is one of the front-runners for replacing Rohit Sharma as India's regular T20 captain after his retirement from T20 international cricket.

In addition to proving his worth as one of the best all-around players in the world, Hardik's performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 showed how important he is to Team India's game plan. The Mumbai Indians skipper was a key player throughout the tournament owing to his capacity to excel under pressure in both the bowling and batting groups.

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