All-rounder Hardik Pandya has been named the stand-in captain for the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium because regular skipper Rohit Sharma is expected to miss it due to family obligations, Cricket Australia reported on Thursday.

“Rohit Sharma to skip the game for some family commitments. Rohit will be back to lead for the final two matches,”

as per a report in Cricket.com.au.

The 29-year-old all-rounder currently holds the lead for India in the shortest format and captained the Gujarat Titans to a title win in their inaugural season of the Indian Premier League 2022.

Hardik Pandya stated earlier this year that winning the ODI World Cup later this year would be his top New Year’s resolution.

It is going to be a high-scoring ODI series, as is the norm. #RohitSharma, though, will not play in first ODI on Friday and returns for 2nd and 3rd. #HardikPandya will lead in his absence. For Australia, #SteveSmith will lead in the absence of the bereaved #PatCummins #INDvsAUS pic.twitter.com/J5yzeOcoGU

— G Krishnan (@gikkukrishnan) March 16, 2023

“The biggest is to win the World Cup. I don’t think any bigger resolution can be there. Really want to win the World Cup, so we will try to do everything possible in our capacity… to go out there and give everything. I think things are looking bright and let’s hope it is,”

Pandya said on the eve of the three-match series against Sri Lanka.

Hardik attributes every achievement he has achieved to the immense effort he has put in, which has resulted in a great T20 International season for him in 2022

“Obviously one year back, things were quite different. When I went out of the sport (because of lower back stress fracture), that was my call to go out and spend time and get better at it. It has been a magical year for me, obviously (I) would have liked the World Cup to come with it. But that is part and parcel of life. We tried but it did not happen, but going forward what is next and what I want to achieve, there is a lot to achieve. I have not achieved anything.”

Quiz him on managing his bowling workload, Hardik says the only “language” he knows is “language of hard work”.

“See, I know the language of hard work. I don’t think I have known any other language in my life. I have been thrown here and there, the only thing that has got me back is my hard work. How I manage it is through my hard work.”