It seems as if Hardik Pandya could well and truly be mapping out a return to red-ball cricket as recent reports suggest that the Indian all-rounder is expected to boot up for Baroda in the upcoming edition of the Ranji Trophy.
Pandya has been slyly hinting at a potential return to the long format of the game over the past couple of weeks with a handful of social media posts where he could be seen training with the red-ball.
The saga only gets more fascinating as according to reports from multiple organizations, a top source in the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) said that there is a chance for Pandya to return to first-class cricket with Baroda in the domestic circuit, keeping in mind the Test series against New Zealand and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Australian soil later this year.
Ever since he underwent major surgery to deal with a longstanding back issue, Pandya stopped playing red-ball cricket and focused himself on remaining in top shape for limited-overs.
In his 11 Test appearances for India, Pandya has notched 532 runs at an average 31.29, whilst picking up 17 wickets with the red ball as well.
There were speculations that the 30-year-old, who last played a Test for India in August-September 2018, could be a surprise pick in India’s squad for the final of the 2023 World Test Championship but he turned down the talks by asserting he doesn’t want to take the place of a Test regular.
While Pandya hasn’t explicitly revealed his plans of playing red-ball cricket, his social media activity do give a hint that he may not be averse to reviving his first-class career.
“It’s heartening to know that Hardik is bowling with red ball but has he really spoken to men who matter (chief selector Ajit Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma) about his intentions?,” a senior BCCI source was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
With Gautam Gambhir as the new coach of the side, it could be a possibility to see Pandya come in as an all-rounder who is a lethal force with both bat and ball.
But with the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel still going strong, it remains to be seen if India could look to make major changes to the side that made the World Test Championship finals for the first two editions.
(with agency inputs)
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