Hardik Pandya’s ODI Future Depends on Vijay Hazare Trophy After Sri Lanka Opt-Out | Reports

July 21, 2024 0 633

Hardik Pandya’s domestic performance will determine his selection for India’s ODI team after skipping the Sri Lanka ODI series due to personal reasons.

Hardik Pandya is set to return to action in the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, but his absence from the ODI leg raised questions about his selection for next year’s Champions Trophy.

India has only six ODIs scheduled before the February 2025 tournament, the first major assignment for new head coach Gautam Gambhir. Three matches will be played in Colombo against Sri Lanka next month, followed by three home games against England in early February.

Pandya’s decision to skip the Sri Lanka ODIs for personal reasons puts him in a risky position. The BCCI has mandated domestic participation for players outside of international duty. While Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan faced consequences for not playing domestic cricket, Pandya, recovering from a 2023 World Cup injury, was spared. However, he committed to representing Baroda in white-ball tournaments during breaks from national duty.

With the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a domestic List A tournament, scheduled from December to January, Pandya’s performance for Baroda becomes crucial for his ODI selection against England and potentially, the Champions Trophy.

According to a Times of India report, the BCCI is closely monitoring Pandya’s bowling fitness. “While he’s been bowling effectively in short T20 spells, he hasn’t been tested in longer formats. The selectors will be watching him closely in the Vijay Hazare Trophy,” a BCCI source told the newspaper.

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The report suggested Pandya might not be an automatic pick for the ODI team if he does not demonstrate his ability to bowl a full quota of overs. Doubts about his bowling fitness are also speculated to be behind the selection committee’s decision to name Suryakumar Yadav as the new T20I captain and Shubman Gill as vice-captain.

“Pandya’s batting hasn’t been dominant lately. His true value lies in his bowling, and his workload management needs careful consideration,” added the source.