Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya who hasn’t played for India since the T20 World Cup last year is aiming for an international comeback with consistent performances in the upcoming IPL edition.
Hardik Aims International Comeback with IPL
The all-rounder has endured a tough time off the field with persistent injury issues which hampered his international career. Notably, Hardik has been released by the Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2022 Mega Auction where the Ahmedabad-based IPL team roped him as the skipper of the side for INR 15 crores.
All 8 existing teams have announced their retained players list where the full IPL 2022 squad will be updated right after the IPL 2022 mega auction event.
Answering the question for his future plan Hardik told “Yes, that’s the plan,” Pandya told Economic Times. “My main aim is to be at my peak when the World Cup happens”.
“All my training, planning, preparation is keeping the World Cup in mind. I want to win the World Cup for the country. It will make me really happy and proud. It is like an obsession with me. IPL will give me a very good preparatory platform for the World Cup but all the hard work ultimately is for the Indian team and the World Cup,” said Pandya.
In the absence of the star all-rounder, Venkatesh Iyer was provided with an opportunity in his position.
However, his performances in three T20Is and two ODIs have been indifferent. Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur, meanwhile, have produced solid performances with both, bat and ball during the recently-concluded ODI series against South Africa.
“I have always rushed myself with my preparation keeping the team’s interest in mind. But this time I wanted some time off to prepare myself physically and mentally. I also wanted to take some time off for my family. We have spent a lot of time in bio bubbles, though everyone has tried to make us feel comfortable, staying in a bio bubble is very tough”, said Pandya was quoted as saying by Economic Times.
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The 28-year also cited bio-bubble fatigue as one of the reasons why he opted for the ongoing break. Hardik said he wanted to spend some time with his family as playing in bio-bubbles since 2020 has not been easy for the all-rounder.
He missed the home series against New Zealand post the T20 World Cup and was also not part of the Indian squad for the South Africa tour.
“You spend a lot of time away from your family and that eventually takes a toll on you. I wanted time off to reflect on myself and understand which areas I need to work on and concentrate on improving those things. I am doing two sessions every day. I have always worked hard in silence and will continue to do so,” said Hardik.
Pandya is also set to miss the upcoming limited-overs series between India and West Indies
