Ex-Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri also desires his team’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya to work on his fitness. Of late, several injuries—including the ankle problem that now hampered his play in the recent ODI World Cup 2023—have dogged Pandya. Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar cited fitness as a main reason behind not considering Pandya as the captain for India’s ongoing T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Shastri reiterated that for him, it’s not about form but match fitness with Pandya; therefore, he feels that if somebody is playing consistently in T20Is, he will automatically find his way back into ODI cricket. It’s wishes from the coach’s side for Pandya to come up big in T20 World Cup 2024 and be inspired to improve in his fitness so that he can hit the peak in his career.

“I think it’s very important that he continues to play. Match fitness is crucial, so he should play as many T20I games as he can. If he feels strong and fit, then he can be considered for the one-day side as well,” Shastri told the ICC.

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Shastri believes Pandya’s bowling fitness is important in ODIs, considering there is more to do in the longer format. “We want him to bowl a lot of overs. If he can only bowl three overs in the T20 version, then to play him in a one-day game, getting him to bowl 10 overs, becomes hard work because the balance of your side goes out, so ideally he can consistently bowl eight to ten overs a game and with that batting the way he does, hopefully, one-day cricket too,” he said.

It may be worth noting that Pandya was a part of India’s T20I squad against Sri Lanka but not their ODI squad. He did play in both the T20Is against Sri Lanka, quite dramatically at times, and his team is now leading the two-match series by two-nil, thereby winning it. The third and final game of the series is scheduled to be played in Pallekele on July 30.

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This, therefore, does not end here for Pandya, who will seek to recover full fitness and make a bold comeback in all formats. His performances and fitness in the upcoming matches will be crucial for his future role in the Indian cricket team.