Pandya was hit by a David Warner shot on his finger during IND v AUS match in Chennai.
Hardik Pandya was bowling to David Warner in Chennai when India met Australia in their CWC 2023 opener. Warner hit a straight shot with some power and Pandya trying to stop the ball put his hand out. But the ball hit Pandya’s finger and he had to call the physio immediately. He left the field after finishing the over. Hardik came back to bowl after having his finger taped up.
Asked about his injury ahead of India's match against Afghanistan, Pandya said that he was doing okay but had never been hit that hard before on the cricket field.
"For the first time in my life, I got hit like this. I couldn't bowl much and got blood. The finger is fine. Need to see how I go about my bowling and fielding today. It was just a bruise and should be fine," Pandya talked about his injury to commentators.
Pandya spoke about the expectations of the Indian crowd and said that the World Cup in India was a special occasion.
"The Indian fans are excited to watch us play at home in a big event like the World Cup. Expectations are high, and it's a special occasion for us with so much love and affection from the home crowd," Pandya said ahead of the match.
Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat first. India captain Rohit Sharma revealed that the team had made one change to their line-up, by bringing in Shardul Thakur in place of Ravichandran Ashwin.