New Delhi: Hardik Pandya did not turn up for either of the two afternoon practice sessions Mumbai Indians Ahead of their Saturday match against Delhi Capitals. Clearly, the Mumbai Indians skipper doesn’t want to push his injury-prone body during the grueling two-month IPL schedule. HardikHowever, there is another battle being fought for the five-time champion beyond campaign planning. TOI He is understood to have been working overtime for the past four months to convince the Indian team management and selectors that he is ready to bowl his full quota of 10 overs in ODIs apart from the IPL. India’s preparations for the ODI World Cup in October-November 2027 will be in full swing after the IPL. Announcing the squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand on January 3, the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) Secretary Devajit Saikia said that Hardik was not allowed by the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) to bowl 10 overs in the match. The BCCI release also claimed that Hardik is being reserved for the next T20 World Cup. Interestingly, five days later, Hardik bowled 10 overs for figures of 3/66 in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Chandigarh. TOI It is learned that Hardik had already approached the selectors and the Indian team management in January. The team management has informed him that they will prioritize his availability to bowl 10 overs till next year’s World Cup in South Africa. It may be noted that Hardik suffered a quadriceps injury before the Asia Cup final in September and made his return to T20I cricket on December 9 in the series against South Africa. Sources told TOI that Hardik had expressed his desire to play in both white-ball formats, but the BCCI took a conservative approach keeping the T20 World Cup in mind. “Hardik is expected to play a big role in the ODI setup as the World Cup will be played on fast and bouncy pitches in South Africa. He can lend the perfect balance. But he has to convince the selectors and the team management that he will be available to bowl 10 overs. He may not need to do this in every match. The captain can make him bowl 6-7 overs in most matches. But if the captain needs more from him, he should be available,” a BCCI source told TOI. “The selectors are also looking at other seven-bowling options. Nitish Kumar Reddy has increased his bowling workload in domestic cricket as well,” added the source. Hardik is putting in the hard yards at the CoE and beyond. He shuttles between Mumbai and Baroda to train with his particular team. “Hardik is increasing his workload. He has also worked on his action to bowl those swingers without compromising on pace. That’s why he has been given the responsibility of bowling with the new ball in T20s. He feels his body is ready to handle the rigors of bowling 10 overs in ODIs. He feels his body has a lot to do to stay fit for more than 10”. claimed.
