In the 2023 ODI World Cup, Hardik was out after just four games owing an injury that once again left India with a bowler short. In the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup, the team management, in a bid to avoid lack of extra bowling options, have stuffed their line-up with as many as four all-rounders. However, Hardik remains the most crucial member of them, having picked up eight wickets and scored 116 runs, including a fifty, to help India script an unbeaten run to the semis. On Monday, during the match against Australia, Hardik almost incurred an injury scare in the final over of the match owing to Rishabh Pant, which left him fuming. It happened in the fourth ball of the over when Hardik bowled a slower one, back of length, as Mitchell Starc, looking to play it on the off side, failed to connect. Pant collected the ball comfortably behind the stumps and took a shy at the wickets. While he missed hitting the target, the ball stung Hardik's hands, and the all-rounder was not happy at all. He shook his hands, his pain, before gesturing towards the wicketkeeper. The sight left captain Rohit Sharma frustrated as well.