The Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is not part of the Baroda squad for the Vijay Hazare trophy. The Baroda Cricket Association said that the all-rounder will join the squad for the knockout stages of the 50-over tournament.
“He will play from the knockouts; he has informed us,” said Kiran More. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the national selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, have made it clear that every cricketer must participate in domestic competitions unless of injury or advice for rest.
Pandya was part of the squad which recently featured in SMAT where Baroda reached the semi-finals. Hardik Pandya scored 246 runs and claimed six wickets in seven matches he played.
Pandya has not played a T20 match official in nearly 14 months. He made his last appearance in the ODI World Cup on October 19, 2023, against Bangladesh in Pune.
Pandya’s participation in the one-day domestic championship could serve as his selection process for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, especially with the Indian team unearthing a potential like-for-like pace-bowling option in Nitish Reddy.
The Andhra allrounder has excelled with his skills and temperament with an impressive all-around performance in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series in Australia.
“He participated in all the SMAT matches, and he will play in the 50-over games too. Baroda performed well in the SMAT, reaching the semifinals, which they lost due to wet conditions in Bengaluru. Hopefully, the team will make it to the knockouts of the VHT as well,” said the former India chief selector.
After his injury, Pandya has played 38 T20 matches inlcuding international, IPL and domestic games. But hasn’t played in any other formats which has fueled his perception that he has been working exclusively on T20 competitions.
Baroda led by Krunal Pandya placed in Group E, will be facing Triupura, Kerala, Bengla, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi in the league stages.
Also Read: Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 Squad, Teams Players List
