Star India batter sustains painful wrist injury ahead of NZ match

Team India is set to face New Zealand next in a highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash in the 2023 ODI World Cup. The Men in Blue chose to engage in an optional practice session in preparation for this significant match. Unfortunately, an unforeseen incident occurred as Surya Kumar Yadav, who was a contender for his World Cup debut against the Kiwis sustained a painful wrist injury from a ball delivered by throwdown specialist Raghu. He was promptly attended to, receiving immediate icing treatment for the affected wrist.

This development has raised concerns for Team India, as Suryakumar's participation against NZ is now in doubt.

"I mean it is nice to have Ishan and he's been, like you said rightly, he's been playing well. He is a left hander, But again, Surya has also come into some great form against Australia, as we saw played a couple of fantastic innings. Absolutely fantastic player against spin, as we know; left arm spin or off spin, or any kind of spin, for that matter. Plus, the role may be for a middle overs role, so we just have to see which one," head coach Rahul Dravid said ahead of the NZ game. 

India have not won against NZ in ICC tournaments since 2003

The 2011 World Cup Champions are already grappling with the absence of Hardik Pandya, who suffered an ankle injury while bowling against Bangladesh. The BCCI has confirmed that Pandya will rejoin the team before the league-stage fixture against England next week. Despite this setback, India remains optimistic about Pandya's swift recovery and has decided against naming a replacement for him.

It's worth noting that India has not secured a victory against NZ in an ICC tournament since 2003, adding significant pressure on the home team to overcome their historical challenges against the BlackCaps.

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Notable players including Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, R Ashwin, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer were among those who participated in the practice session preceding this pivotal match."