[Watch] "Only one direction to go, forward" - Hardik Pandya back training in the gym to return from ankle injury

Ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya is back to intense training in the gym after suffering an ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Since injuring his left ankle in his bowling follow-through against Bangladesh, Hardik has been out of action. The 30-year-old missed the remainder of the showpiece event and was also out for the entire South African tour.

Hardik has also been excluded from the squad for the upcoming three-match home T20I series against Afghanistan but should return for the IPL season.

The star all-rounder took to his Instagram handle to post his intense workout video with the caption:

"Only one direction to go, forward."

Team India did not miss Hardik's services for the rest of the World Cup until the final when Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne exploited India's lack of a sixth bowling option. The duo added 192 runs for the fourth wicket after the Aussies were 47/3 in their run chase of 241.

Renowned for his ability to break partnerships and bounce batters out, Hardik's absence was massively felt when Head went on the rampage against the listless Indian attack.

He played only three full matches for India in the World Cup and picked up five wickets before copping the ankle injury in his opening over of the fourth game against Bangladesh.

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Hardik Pandya was at the top of the headlines during the IPL off-season

Hardik Pandya (L) replaced Rohit Sharma (R) as MI captain.

Despite missing the action on-field, Hardik Pandya made his presence felt during the IPL off-season. The talismanic all-rounder returned to his former franchise, Mumbai Indians, in an all-cash deal with the Gujarat Titans (GT). Hardik also replaced Rohit Sharma as the skipper for the upcoming IPL season.

The news created headlines, with several mixed reactions from experts and fans. To create the necessary salary cap for the 2024 IPL auction, MI traded Australian all-rounder Cameron Green to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in a similar all-cash deal.

Hardik played a vital role in four of Mumbai's five IPL titles in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Hardik then led GT to the title in their maiden IPL appearance in 2022 and almost made it consecutive triumphs but for the last-ball defeat to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the summit clash.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma's tenure as MI skipper ended with the maverick cricketer leading the franchise to all five titles from 2013 to 2020.