Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir believes veteran all-rounder Hardik Pandya must have as much game time as possible, considering his recent injuries. Hardik has not played for India since their triumphant 2026 T20 World Cup in March. Hardik has not played a competitive match since IPL 2026 due to a series of leg and quadriceps injuries as well. He has also not played an ODI for India since the 2025 Champions Trophy as well.

Talking about Hardik Pandya in an interview with Jio Star, Gambhir said (via India Today): “If you talk about Hardik, very few teams have a player like that who can bowl 10 overs for you, plus bat at number six or seven, plus with that impact. But he needs game time as well. Because after the IPL, he hasn’t played a lot of cricket. So if the focus is only that he has to play the 50-over format, then he might be short of cricket. Game time going into the World Cup is going to be extremely, extremely important. You cannot go there half-cooked. So you should have enough game time; your rhythm should be so good, because going to the World Cup, there are no ifs and buts.”

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Gautam Gambhir opined on the importance of Test cricket and the need for Team India to become a dominant team in the red-ball format. Under Gambhir, India has struggled in Tests, suffering home series losses to New Zealand and South Africa, and losing 1-3 in Australia as well.

“When you are getting the new guys in, obviously trying to make them feel how important Test cricket is, because I’m a very big believer that a strong Test cricketing nation is a strong cricketing nation. It’s not the other way around. I’ve never believed that a strong T20 cricket nation is a strong cricketing nation. So red-ball still remains our priority,” concluded Gautam Gambhir.