Priya Punia, the 28-year-old top-order batter, has faced a significant setback in her efforts to return to the Indian ODI team after a long hiatus, following an injury to her left knee during the 2nd ODI. Due to this injury, she was unable to bat in the match while India pursued an imposing target of 372 runs.
Punia made her ODI debut on October 9, 2019, against South Africa at the Reliance Stadium in Vadodara. She had a remarkable debut, scoring an unbeaten half-century (75* off 124 balls) and earned the Player of the Match award for her crucial innings. So far, she has accumulated 273 runs with a respectable average of 27.30 across 11 innings for her team.
Prior to her participation in the current three-match ODI series, her last appearance for India in this format was on July 19, 2023, against Bangladesh in Mirpur. India’s chances in the series have already diminished after losing by a significant margin of 122 runs. As a result, Punia was not available for the selection in the 3rd and final ODI at W.A.C.A, Perth.
The BCCI medical team is currently evaluating her recovery and hopes for her swift return ahead of the home series against the West Indies, which includes three T20Is followed by three ODIs from December 15 to December 27, 2024.
The BCCI posted on X, “Ms Priya Punia sustained an injury on her left knee in the 2nd ODI, at the Allan Border Field. She was not available for selection for the Third ODI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring her progress.”
Image Source: Priya Punia @ Instagram
