Out of action since the 2021 T20 World Cup, all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s fitness has been under the scanner. The Indian team however aren’t willing to give up yet, and have called the Gujarat Titans captain to Bengaluru for a training camp at the National Cricket Academy.
The Baroda cricketer has asked for a couple of days before he joins the camp that began on 5 March, according to a report in Cricbuzz. Krunal Pandya however has not been asked to report for the camp.
Earlier, chief selector Chetan Sharma had said that Hardik Pandya would be considered for the Indian team only after there is clarity about his bowling fitness.
The report further noted that camp at the NCA, with around 25 players, is happening keeping in mind the T20 World Cup later this year. The coach, Rahul Dravid and the selection committee are understood to have begun the planning process already.
With regards to Hardik, he is expected to be tried out in the home series against South Africa in June, if he gets through the IPL without any trouble. His last outing for India was against Namibia in the World Cup in UAE.
It had been reported by InsideSport that Hardik had initially snubbed the call to the camp at the NCA, before making a U-turn on the same.
Meanwhile, the 10-day camp at the NCA has also resulted in some of the IPL franchises not being very happy about the lack of access to their players before the tournament. The IPL begins on 26 March.
As of now, with the camp ending on 15 March, the IPL teams will only have their players joining them after that, which is less than two weeks from the start date.
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