With the clock ticking towards the Champions Trophy, Hardik Pandya has a lot to prove in domestic cricket. His performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy will be a critical test, determining his place in India's ODI squad and potentially even his leadership aspirations in the future.
According to sources, India’s star cricketer Hardik Pandya has a lot to showcase in the domestic game as the prestigious Champions Trophy comes closer, which is set to take place in February in host country Pakistan. Either he stays in India’s ODI squad or potentially even seeks captaincy in the future will depend on how well he does in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which is slated to take place in December. There will be just six ODIs left before the crucial ICC Champions Trophy in February, and it seems that Indian team management is slightly worried about Hardik Pandya’s ability to bowl effectively in ODI cricket.
Though Hardik Pandya has chosen to miss the upcoming three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka due to personal reasons, BCCI reported some different moves. They say that during the months to come, a lot more focus will be directed to his physical condition, particularly how long he can bowl in the 50-over game. It has been reported that the recent selection committee turned on Hardik Pandya for leadership roles due to his bowling restrictions. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir are reportedly hesitant to give him the captaincy because of his inconsistent availability. This explains why the BCCI chose Shubman Gill to replace the 30-year-old cricketer as the new ODI vice captain and Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain for the Sri Lanka series.
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Hardik hasn’t played any ODI after last year’s World Cup
His fitness to bowl more than four overs is still in doubt
He will be evaluated during Vijay Hazare trophy in December https://t.co/7GjtHqMW7b— Arani Basu (@AraniBasuTOI) July 21, 2024
“Bowling just four overs in T20s is a different challenge altogether compared to the demands of the 50-over format. Hardik hasn’t been tested in longer spells since his injury. The selectors will be keeping a watchful eye on his performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy later this year to gauge his bowling fitness,” souces said.
It has been seen that India’s great batter Hardik Pandya’s turnarounds tend to take place during important ICC tournaments. Amazingly, his inability to bowl at full speed led to his dismissal from the T20I squad after the 2021 World Cup, and the Mumbai Indians also didn’t retain him.
Meanwhile, the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning star has a lot to show in the domestic game as the Champions Trophy approaches. Whether he remains in India’s ODI squad and possibly even pursues leadership in the near future will depend on the way he performs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
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