 "Hardik Pandya will play domestic white-ball matches if there's no Team India commitments: Report")
Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were omissions from the BCCI central contracts list for 2023-24 season, but not Hardik Pandya, who had been handed a Grade A contract. There was a discussion on Pandya and his place in the Grade A category of the BCCI central contracts during a recent meeting, apart from Iyer and Kishan omissions.
A report in the Indian Express states that the BCCI and the selectors gave Pandya a contract on the condition that he would turn up for Baroda in white-ball tournaments like Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy if there were no limited-overs assignments with the Indian team.
As per BCCI’s medical team, Pandya, who returned from a four-month injury layoff in the DY Patil T20 tournament this week, is still not in a position to bowl in red-ball cricket. Pandya had sustained an ankle injury during the ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh in October last year, and has not played for India ever since.
Also read: What's new in BCCI central contracts for 2023-24 season?
Pandya has been training by himself in Vadodara, much like Ishan Kishan, but at the same time, he has been regularly reporting to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for his fitness assessment.
“We have had discussions with Pandya, who has been told to play domestic white-ball tournaments when he is available. At this stage, according to the assessment of the BCCI’s medical team, he is not in a position to bowl in red-ball tournaments. So playing Ranji Trophy is out of the equation for Pandya. But he has to play other white-ball tournaments if there are no India commitments. If not, he will miss out on a contract,” a top BCCI official was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.
As per the Future Tour Programme (FTP), India just play three T20Is at home against Bangladesh in an otherwise Test-heavy calendar. Between October and December, when India do not have white-ball assignments, is when the Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy will take place. And, according to the Indian Express report, barring any fitness concerns, Pandya has been asked to take part in both of these tournaments.
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