Ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya is contemplating retirement from the longest format of the game due to his back injuries that have kept him out of bowling action in recent years. The India cricketer has reportedly asked the selectors not to consider him for the upcoming tour of South Africa.
Hardik, who last played a Test match in September 2018, has represented India in only 11 matches in the red-ball format. He has been out of the Test arena for quite a long and now if reports are to be believed as true, he might hang his boots soon.
“He has been struggling with injuries for a while and although he hasn’t informed us officially, he is considering Test retirement. It will help him keep his focus on white-ball cricket. He was anyway not in our plans for Tests. It will be a great loss for sure but we have to prepare backup,” a top BCCI official told InsideSport.
Hardik Pandya has been having persistent back issues and underwent surgery before he made his comeback to the team in 2019. Since his return to competitive cricket, Pandya has been playing as a specialist batsman for Team India.
So far, he has scored 532 runs, and has scalped 17 wickets from 11 Test matches for India.
Hardik Pandya skips Vijay Hazare Trophy to regain full fitness
Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya will continue to work on his fitness in Mumbai and has decided to skip the Vijay Hazare Tournament, that started today. However, it has raised some questions as Hardik has not traveled to the National Cricket Academy for rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians have also not retained the star all-rounder for the next season meaning he will head to the IPL 2022 auction.
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