BCCI won’t allow Hardik Pandya to play IPL 2022 till he clears the fitness test

BCCI won’t allow Hardik Pandya to play IPL 2022 till he clears the fitness test

Hardik Pandya

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) won’t allow the Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya to play the upcoming season of IPL until he clears the fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

The 28-year-old has already reported at the NCA and will undergo the fitness tests there. A BCCI source confirmed that Pandya will be at the NCA for the next two days to clear various compulsory fitness tests. He has struggled with a back injury and this has affected his all-rounding skills. He did bat and fielding but hasn’t bowled for Team India for a long time. Hardik Pandya has not played cricket since T20 World Cup in UAE.

Mumbai Indians had released Pandya before the mega auction. The new entrant Ahmedabad franchise bought him as their captain for Rs.15 crores in the auction. IPL will start on March 26 with the match between CSK and KKR. Gujarat will play against Lucknow Super Giants on March 28.

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What does Hardik Pandya have to do to pass the test?

Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya

NCA is preparing the white-ball Indians players for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in Australia. “The NCA physios and VVS Laxman will decide the fitness test program. But as the selectors have made it clear, he will have to bowl a minimum of 10 overs and pass the mandatory Yo-yo test as per set parameters.” A senior BCCI official said.

“Hardik will be at the NCA for the next two days and appear in the various fitness tests. He is a centrally contracted cricketer and has not played any cricket since T20 World Cup in UAE.” A BCCI source told PTI.

“He would need to pass the fitness test as it has been mandatory for some time now. Last year, even Shreyas Iyer appeared for a fitness test post shoulder surgery before playing IPL.”

“If Gujarat is looking at a pure batter, a skipper and a finisher, Hardik, in all likelihood, is ready. It will be interesting to see what is NCA’s Sports Science and Medicine team take on his bowing. Is he ready to bowl at 135 clicks upwards?”

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