The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the National Cricket Academy (NCA) are taking a patient approach regarding the return of Hardik Pandya to the Team India set-up. They have devised an 18-week-long high-performance program for the all-rounder, with a focus on the next two T20 World Cups. The 2024 T20 World Cup is scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the USA, followed by India hosting the 2026 edition.
Hardik Pandya’s last appearance for India was in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 against Bangladesh on October 19, where he suffered a ‘freak injury’ that brought an end to his tournament. The Indian cricket team patiently awaited Pandya’s recovery but eventually ruled him out, announcing a replacement on November 4. In the final match against Australia, which India lost, Pandya was understandably disappointed to miss out on what could have been a significant moment in his career.
Hardik Pandya Is Undergoing A Special 18-Week High-Performance Program
Hardik Pandya is currently adhering to an 18-week personalized high-performance program created by the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The program meticulously outlines his daily activities until March, encompassing cardio, strength training, functional training, as well as planned periods for rest and recovery. The progress is being closely monitored to assess his response to the different elements of the program.
“We speak of workload management. This is precisely what it is all about. Is there a doubt on his ability as a T20 cricketer? No. What we rather need is setting long-term goals and ensuring endurance levels remain up to the mark,” a source told CricketNext.
Notably, Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul underwent a similar program at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to facilitate their recovery from extended injury breaks.
The source added: “It is not something new. Shreyas, Bumrah and KL underwent similar programmes during their long injury layoffs and the routine is designed keeping the next assignments in mind. Say for KL, wicket-keeping, subcontinent heat and everything was taken into account. Similarly, Bumrah was eased into cricket with Ireland T20Is before he went full throttle in the Asia Cup,”
While Hardik Pandya could have participated in the three T20Is against Afghanistan, the decision was made to prioritize overall fitness standards over skill development at this stage. This approach aims to maintain a focus on his fitness rather than shifting to a skill-based strategy with match-driven objectives.
Hardik Pandya is not dealing with any ongoing fitness problems. He underwent surgery in 2019 for a back issue that resulted in a lengthy period of recovery. Since then, he has not encountered fitness concerns. The ankle injury he experienced during the World Cup was more a result of unfortunate circumstances when he slipped while attempting to stop the ball.
