Hardik Pandya was added to the 16-member squad for the T20I series against England, with the opening match scheduled to take place on January 22 at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata.
Team India star all-rounder Hardik Pandya got into training mode after a short break ahead of the upcoming home white-ball series against England. The 31-year-old is leaving no stone unturned in preparation for the crucial series against the touring England team.
Hardik was added to the 16-member squad for the T20I series against The Three Lions, with the opening match scheduled to take place on January 22 at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. Hardik Pandya was part of the Baroda team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he amassed 246 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 49.20 in seven matches. Also, he played three matches in Vijay Hazare Trophy, picking three wickets and scoring just 11 runs.
With an important white-ball series ahead, Hardik Pandya’s fitness and form is vital for Team India. In a video posted by the all-rounder on his Instagram handle, he can be seen working intensely on his fitness by running and exercising at Cricket Club of India (CCI) ground in Mumbai, showcasing his dedication to stay fit ahead of the series against England.
Along with the video, Hardik captioned, “A big season is ahead of us.”
Hardik Pandya will return to International cricket after playing the T20I series against South Africa in November last year. The Baroda cricketer is part of India's plans for white-ball cricket and is expected to play a crucial role as the team gears up for the important assignment, including Champions Trophy 2025, which is scheduled to take place on February 19.
After opting out to play Test cricket, Hardik Pandya has been completely focusing on ODIs and T20Is, aiming to contribute as an impactful all-rounder. His decision to prioritize white-ball formats rather than playing all forms of the game has enabled to manage his workload and prevent injuries. His impressive run of form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy is a big positive for the BCCI selectors and Team India management ahead of crucial assignments. The all-rounder is expected to be picked for the ODI series against England and the Champions Trophy.
Hardik Pandya is expected to lead Mumbai Indians again in IPL this year after he was retained for INR 16.35 crore ahead of the Mega Auction.
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Nitish Reddy, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy and Washington Sundar