Legendary Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been reported to be back with the red ball for Baroda ahead of the Ranji Trophy 2024-25.
The ace Indian all-rounder had not starred in a red ball match for almost 6 years. He last played a red-ball match for India in 2018 against England. It was the same year when he was seen in domestic-level first-class cricket.
Recently, a senior Baroda Cricket Association member assured the speculation that Pandya is looking forward to such a development.
However, some officials in the BCCI stated that it’s great to know about Hardik practicing for the red ball but aren’t sure whether Pandya has approached the heads like Ajit Agarkar, Gambhir or Rohit. This gave an indication that even if Pandya is into Tests, domestically, his immediate return remains uncertain.
“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 source at BCCI, was quoted by PTI.
Hardik Pandya will be next seen in T20I series against Bangladesh
Hardik Pandya is, currently, undergoing practice sessions as he is gearing up for a T20I series against the neighboring nation. Though in some recent scenarios, he was seen practicing with the red ball.
Pandya was last seen playing for the Indian team in the T20I series against Sri Lanka when Team India, under skipper Suryakumar, won the trophy 3-0. Pandya also played the most vital role in India’s historic World Cup final win against the Proteas.
If Hardik eyes a comeback in red-ball cricket with Team Baroda, he has less than a month to prepare for the games, as the Ranji Trophy is to begin on the 11th of October. Pandya has featured for India in 11 Tests, scoring 532 runs with a highest score of 108. Serving as a perfect all-rounder, he also picked 17 wickets.
He would have to start in multiple domestic games and a significant impact can only earn him a place in the Indian Test side.
