Hardik Pandya, an all-rounder for Team India and Gujarat Titans, has joined the Indian camp at the National Cricket Academy, Bangalore. This is just before the start of the Indian Premier League 2022.
Hardik, who hasn’t played cricket since the T20 World Cup in October-November last year due to fitness issues, will be at NCA for a few more days before he rejoins the Gujarat Titans for this season’s IPL. Practice will begin at Narendra Modi Stadium Motera on Thursday.
Pandya, the skipper for the Gujarat Titans, is currently in quarantine.
To prove his fitness in NCA, the all-rounder must bowl at least 10 overs to be eligible for IPL 2022.
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“VVS Laxman and the NCA physios will decide the fitness program. The selectors made it clear that he must bowl at least 10 overs and pass a Yo-yo test according to set parameters. He doesn’t need to do it. All cricketers must pass the fitness tests. It is mandatory for centrally contracted players before IPL,” an official from BCCI told InsideSport.
Head coach Rahul Dravid created the camp at the NCA. It is for white-ball Indian players with an eye to Australia’s 2022 T20 World Cup.
Cricbuzz reports that the team management will take stock of players’ fitness and give advice to them before the two-month-long IPL.
Pandya’s call-up is a sign that he is in Dravid’s plans. He has already begun planning for the October tournament. He will train with Surya Kumar Yadav, a Mumbai Indians player, and other players currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Bangalore facility. Pandya will still be present at the camp, even though it ends on Tuesday.
The Chennai Super Kings claim that they have not yet received confirmation about the availability of Deepak Chahar, the all-rounder for the IPL season. CSK bought Chahar for Rs 14 Crore in the mega auction. He has now suffered a hamstring injury.
Kasi Viswanathan, CSK CEO, said that the franchise would only decide on Viswanathan or a replacement after receiving a complete report from NCA regarding the pacer’s injuries status. Viswanathan stated, “At the moment, we aren’t thinking about a replacement yet.”
