Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri wants all-rounder Hardik Pandya to work on his fitness and play as many matches as possible.
Pandya has struggled with injuries throughout his international career. Most recently, he rolled over his ankle in a group game at the 2023 ODI World Cup against Bangladesh, which not only kept him out of the team for the remainder of the tournament but sidelined him for several months as he made his return to the pitch at the 2024 IPL for the Mumbai Indians.
As Hardik’s struggles with fitness have been a major story in his career, new Indian National Cricket Team head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar decided that the 30-year-old would not be promoted to being the captain of the T20I side.
Check Out: Ravi Shastri Urges Hardik to Play More T20I
His past with injuries and his missing a lot of matches because of it was cited as the main reason for him not being named the captain in a recent press conference.
This came as a surprise. Pandya was the vice-captain of the India team that won the 2024 T20 World Cup. After captain Rohit Sharma retired from the format after winning the tournament, most people assumed that Hardik would take up the mantle of being the skipper.
But not only was he not given the captaincy, which went to Suryakumar Yadav, but the all-rounder is no longer the vice-captain of the team, with Shubman Gill filling in the role.
Ravi Shastri Urges Hardik to Play More T20I
While speaking to the ICC, Ravi Shastri suggested that Hardik Pandya should play as many T20Is as possible to make a return to the ODI side and be a crucial piece in both the limited-overs formats for India.
“I think (it’s) very important that he continues to play. I believe match fitness is very important. So whatever T20I cricket there is, he should play as much as he can. And if he feels strong and fit, then obviously he comes into the side for the one-day game as well,” he said.
Shastri also highlighted how important it is for Pandya to work on his bowling fitness, bowl as many overs per match as possible, and be able to provide a full quota of overs in every game, adding,
“But then again, the bowling becomes important. If you have someone coming and bowling just three overs where you have to bowl 10 in a one-day game, then the balance of the side takes a hit. If you can bowl consistently eight to 10 overs every game and then bat the way he does, I think he’ll play in one-day cricket as well.”
Hardik is currently part of the Indian T20I squad that is playing the three-game series against Sri Lanka. After winning the first two games and thus clinching the series, the third India vs Sri Lanka T20I will be played on July 30th in the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Kandy at 7:00 PM.
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