India shouldn’t take the risk of making Hardik Pandya play ODIs before the T20 World Cup: Ravi Shastri

Hardik Pandya has been in impressive form in all departments after leading Gujarat Titans to victory in the Indian Premier League 2022.

Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri said that Hardik Pandya should only be playing T20 cricket for the next few months ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year. Pandya recently made a comeback to the national team for the T20I series against South Africa after he captained the Gujarat Titans (GT) to glory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

In the IPL 2022, Pandya scored 487 runs from 15 matches at an average of 44.27 with four half-centuries to his name. Moreover, he picked up eight wickets, including a three-fer in the final against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Shastri said that Pandya should get enough rest before the T20 tournament in Australia and his fitness needs to be taken care of. The veteran, also a part of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning squad, said that Hardik has gained enough fitness to bowl a couple of overs every match.

"He will walk back into that squad for me either as a batter or as an all-rounder. I don't think he is that badly injured where he cannot bowl you two overs. He has had ample rest and he will continue to have ample rest because that's the only format he should play going into the World Cup. They shouldn't take the risk of making him play ODI cricket," Shastri was quoted as saying on Star Sports show Game Plan.

"Massive, he does the job for two players. A Hardik Pandya playing just as a batter would mean he has to bat in the top four or five but Hardik Pandya playing as an all-rounder, he can bat at five, six or four and still bowl those two-three overs for you," he added.