Gautam Gambhir blames BCCI CoE for Shubman Gill’s poor captaincy type”>Gautam Gambhir challenges Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson”>Gautam Gambhir has provided an update on Hardik Pandya’s fitness and defined why the all-rounder was not considered for India’s upcoming white-ball series in opposition to the West Indies. Gambhir said Pandya is at the moment not ready to bowl 10 overs in an ODI and burdened that India doesn’t want to rush him back into worldwide cricket.
Hardik Pandya has been out of aggressive motion since the IPL 2026 season and is now set to use the India A assignment in opposition to Australia as an opportunity to regain match fitness. Recent reports have indicated that the selectors need him to exhibit that he can bowl his full 10-over quota earlier than he might be considered prepared for an ODI return.
Hardik Pandya unable to bowl 10 overs
Hardik Pandya’s prolonged absence has created uncertainty around India’s seam-bowling all-rounder slot, notably with the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching. The all-rounder was not included in India’s squads for the upcoming house series in opposition to the West Indies, with Nitish Kumar Reddy instead getting an opportunity within the ODI setup.
Pandya has been engaged on his recovery at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and has been included within the India A squad for the upcoming one-day matches in opposition to Australia, topic to fitness clearance. Reviews have said that the selectors need him to show that he can bowl 10 overs moderately than merely return with a limited workload.
Gautam Gambhir also defined that Hardik Pandya has not performed sufficient cricket since the IPL and that the crew administration doesn’t want to expose him to the calls for of worldwide cricket earlier than he is prepared. He added that enjoying for India A might provide the required match follow earlier than a possible return to the senior crew.
Hardik for the time being, yes, he can’t bowl 10 overs – Gautam Gambhir
Speaking at the post-match press convention after India completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Afghanistan, Gautam Gambhir defined why Nitish Kumar Reddy’s involvement has develop into important for India whereas Hardik Pandya works his manner back to full fitness. He said:
“So to start with, from Nitish’s viewpoint, it is really a terrific thing that he’s been withdrawn from a T20 format and he’ll get recreation time in opposition to West Indies as effectively. We know how important seam bowling all-rounders can be most likely in a year’s time once we go to South Africa and more the merrier. And as soon as Hardik comes back, obviously he’ll be good.
“Sometimes we might even go on to play both of them within the enjoying 11. However again, Hardik for the time being, yes, he can’t bowl 10 overs and he hasn’t performed a whole lot of cricket since the IPL. So we don’t want to push him into worldwide cricket because worldwide cricket might be extremely powerful in your body as effectively,” Gautam Gambhir said.
Gautam Gambhir further said that Hardik’s absence provides much-needed recreation time to Nitish Kumar Reddy, who can turn into a terrific seam bowling all-rounder for India. He said:
“So if he performs that India A-series, obviously he’ll get some recreation time as effectively. And that was the clear message to him that if he can play that A-series after which if every little thing goes effectively, he can come back and be part of the T20s and the one-day squad as effectively. And within the meantime, Nitish will get more recreation time as effectively because he hasn’t performed sufficient cricket since the IPL either.
“So I feel it is good that we have Nitish now from the Asian recreation. And you might see, the more he bowls, the better he becomes. And when you may develop a couple of seam bowling all-rounders, it will all the time be handy in a year’s time.”
We want to expose him to many of the worldwide video games – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir also spoke about Nitish’s progress in the course of the Afghanistan series and defined why the crew wants to give the younger all-rounder more alternatives throughout codecs.
Nitish completed the three-match T20I series as India’s main wicket-taker, claiming six wickets in three innings at an average of 13.16. He improved after an costly opening recreation and produced a a lot stronger bowling performance as the series progressed.
“Yeah, it’s been a huge plus for us because we want to expose him [Nitish] to many of the worldwide video games because we know how important he is, whether or not it is in 50-over format or going ahead in T20s as effectively because, you already know, there will not be many going around guys who can bowl and who can bat at the center order,” Gautam Gambhir said.
“So it is a huge constructive that the way in which he’s bowled in this series, obviously he didn’t start out that effectively within the first recreation, however then we all the time know that the more you bowl in worldwide cricket, the more he’ll get better and that is what he confirmed at the moment.”
Supply: cricketaddictor.com
