Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya made a strong comeback on the field, putting in 3D performances for the new franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Just 2-3 games in, the chatter over Hardik’s re-entry into the Indian team had started to make noise, but of late, the buzz has fizzled out.
Hardik, who has had plenty of injury issues over the last 2-3 years, is no longer bowling for Gujarat in IPL 2022. His fitness seems to have gone down as the IPL Season 15 has progressed, which is affecting his performances on the field too. Should Hardik still be in the scheme of things as far as national selection goes? Former India cricketer Parthiv Patel doesn’t think so.
“You need to a pick a fully fit player. You can’t pick a player for bowling at 140 km/h in two matches. You reach World Cup and if he gets injured then what happens? It will be India’s loss. You need to play at least a few 4-day matches and then only you can judge the fitness,” Parthiv told in a chat on Cricbuzz.
Hardik has impressed many with his 140 kph deliveries early in the IPL 2022 campaign. But, in the last few matches, he hasn’t bowled a single delivery. While there’s no denying that a fully-fit Hardik is an asset to the Indian team, Parthiv isn’t sure if the Surat-born cricketer offers much without the ball.
“When a bowler in excess of 140 at the start of the tournament and bowls at different phases of the innings and then suddenly one small injury stops you from bowling completely. So this will be a concern for sure but if we quote his statement, he himself had stated that he shouldn’t be considered for selection till he doesn’t contribute fully as an all-rounder. So, if he wants to make a comeback then he can only do that by becoming a complete all-rounder,” Parthiv said.
“I personally believe that if you want a player to return to the (Indian) side then you can’t do that on the basis of just the performances in the IPL. The value of domestic cricket goes down when you pick someone directly from IPL. World Cup is still 6 months away. Hopefully, till then the Ranji Trophy can start and he can play few games,” he added.
The Indian cricket team has a few bilateral assignments against South Africa and Ireland lined up after the conclusion of the IPL. If Hardik is to bag a spot in that team, he would need to return to bowling as soon as possible.
