India vice-captain Hardik Pandya joined the squad in New York ahead of the team’s warm-up match in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Pandya, who did not travel with the first batch of the Indian players to the USA, posted photos after linking up with the team.

After missing several series due to an ankle injury sustained at the ODI World Cup 2023, Hardik Pandya will make his return to the national team in the T20 World Cup. During the Bangladesh match at the World Cup, Pandya slipped on his bowling mark and suffered the ankle injury that sidelined him for series’ against Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan. He made his return to competitive cricket in the IPL. Now, Pandya will be eager to regain his form and turn around his fortunes after a miserable season with the Mumbai Indians.

Pandya is not the only player to travel separately to the Indian team’s destination. Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh, have also travelled alone to New York to link up with the Indian squad. This flexible travel approach has been adopted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India to accommodate the varying commitments of players to their respective IPL franchises.

The Indian cricket team traveled to the United States in two separate groups. The first group included Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant. The second group consisted of the Rajasthan Royals trio of Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Meanwhile, Virat Kohli is still missing. He is in India at the moment.