Ravi Shastri gives his verdict on Hardik Pandya's possible return to Team India
Ravi Shastri gives verdict on Hardik Pandya's possible return to Team India
A lot of focus will be on all-rounder Hardik Pandya when the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 kicks off on March 26. Pandya was selected by Gujarat Titans ahead of the mega auction and he will be leading the new franchise this season. While he has been cleared to bowl this time, he has played in the recent past mainly as a batsman due to various fitness issues and surgeries.
Former Indian cricket team coach Ravi Shastri believes that if Pandya cannot start bowling again, he will not be able to make it spot in India squad ahead of the T20 World Cup just based on his batting.
"In the top five, there's a lot of muscle there. If anyone's occupying the position Nos. 5, 6 onwards, he'll have to bring that extra department to the game. That is why from Hardik's point of view, from India's point of view, from the Gujarat team's point of view, it's extremely important that he strings those two or three overs together because if he does and bowls with even limited success, he becomes an automatic choice in the Indian team," Shastri told ESPNcricinfo.
Shastri added that the No 6 position in the national side is now fixed for an all-rounder.
)
‘US ensuring global energy supplies’: Trump demands reimbursement for securing Strait of Hormuz
)
China thinned Himalayan troop presence in 2025, India defence report says; terms border situation 'stable'
)
Historic first: ‘Ganga aarti’ performed on River Thames in London
)
Who really benefits from the BRICS bank? Inside the New Development Bank's $43 billion portfolio
)
Russia proposes to build 360 kmph Ivolga FG trains in India: What happened on sidelines of BRICS
)
China discovers vast gold and silver 'mine' in the Pacific with unheard-of deposits
)
Indian importers urge Bangladesh to lift export ban on 'Hilsa' fish ahead of Durga Puja
)
Liam Neeson sparks romance rumours after holding hands with Stella Stocker at TIFF 2026
)
Sent home midway from UK tour, Pakistan's Salman Agha hits 300* in domestic return
)
Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland push for exit from UK | Race To Power
)
US court blocks Trump administration move ending automatic H-4 EAD extensions for seven spouses
)
800 million years old - Scientists discover 'fingerprints' of supercontinent Gondwana in ancient rocks
)
Emmy Awards 2026: Widow's Bay and The Pitt win in lead categories- check out the complete list of winners
)
Baba Vanga's first prophecy for 2027 is out, and straight out of science fiction
)
Iran, India agree to deepen humanitarian and political ties, President Pezeshkian says
)
Delhi govt to roll out ₹13,820 crore development projects under Seva Sankalp Abhiyan: CM Rekha Gupta
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Chinese PL-15 air-to-air missiles use dual-pulse motors compared to European interceptors
)
Nigerian Navy seizes 10,000 litres of suspected illegal fuel in Rivers State crackdown
)
Ecstasy tablets are rage in 'drug haven' Libya | Gravitas
)
Meghan Markle shares first glimpse of family life with Prince Harry and children in UK
)
‘Want to reset ties with India, have engagement based on mutual interests,’ says Bangladesh minister
)
UK man admits drugging, raping wife for 20 years in shocking abuse case
)
Photographs, LeT labels vanish from two 2008 Mumbai attack entries in Pakistan’s most wanted list
)
Plane carrying prominent figure crashes at Libya’s Misrata airport: Report
)
Turkish Airlines plane flies through a storm three times, triggering severe turbulence
)
Saudi Arabia discovers 110 million tonnes of Uranium-rich ore in Madinah region
)
Did India risk its US trade deal despite softer stance at BRICS?
)
Video of Pakistani lawmaker struggling to read English tribute to Jinnah goes viral - WATCH
)
Trump downplays China's alleged 'help' to Iran in strike on Jordan base | Gravitas
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Emmys 2026 Red Carpet: Zendaya, Nicole Kidman and Julia Garner lead the glamour peak
)
Extreme warming in Indian Ocean added 695 billion tons of ice to Antarctica ice sheet
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why European Meteor missiles use ramjet engines compared to standard US solid rockets
)
‘Let’s go’: Newly declassified videos show dramatic rescue of US Air Force officers downed in Iran
)
Pakistan puts Pak Rs 70 lakh bounty on UN terrorist Masood Azhar; move draws skepticism in Delhi
)
'Huge destructive power': North Korea calls its latest missile launches 'live-fire drill' even as US dismisses 'immediate threat'
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (September 14-20, 2026): Lust Stories 3, Waiting Hai, Irumudi- 5 new titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
'Now Trump is copying us': Shivakumar links US $5,000 plan to Congress guarantees
"I think the all-rounder's position at No. 6 for sure. Ideally someone in the top-five who can bowl two or three overs. That takes the pressure off the captain. It gives him then six and a half bowlers from whom he can choose. That will be one area I'll be looking at very closely. And of course, the fast bowling and fielding. I'm not really worried about the batting. Batting is there," he said.
Gujarat Titans will kick off their campaign on Monday against Lucknow Super Giants.