The newly-appointed Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya has started working hard on his fitness by hitting the gym in order to make his comeback in the upcoming IPL 2024, which is likely to take place in March.
Hardik has been out of action since October due to ankle injury and was not included in Team India squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan. The 30-year-old suffered an injury to his ankle during the match against Bangladesh in the ODI World Cup last year.
In November, Hardik Pandya dominated the headlines after he Gujarat Titans traded him to his old franchise Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2024 Auction. Just few weeks, the star all-rounder took over Mumbai Indians' captaincy reins from Rohit Sharma, which received criticism from MI fans.
In a video posted on his Instagram handle, Hardik Pandya can be seen training in the gym by using battling ropes, lifting weights and doing stretching.
The BCCI and National Cricket Academy (NCA) are not rushing Hardik Pandya's comeback. They have laid out 18-week programme for the all-rounder, with a sole focus on complete rehabilitation rather than speedy recovery. Hardik Pandya will follow the programme till the beginning of the IPL 2024.
Will Hardik Pandya lead Team India in T20 World Cup 2024?
During the squad announcement for the T20I series against Afghanistan, Rohit Sharma returned to shortest format as captain of the side. Leading run-getter in T20Is, Virat Kohli also made his return to T20I side after 14 months.
With Rohit Sharma returning as T20I captain, the question remains whether Hardik Pandya will get to lead Men in Blue in shortest format in lead up to T20 World Cup, slated to take place in West Indies and USA in June.
Hardik Pandya was at the helm when Rohit Sharma didn't play any T20I match since T20 World Cup 2022. In Rohit Sharma's absence, the all-rounder led young side in the away series against Ireland, New Zealand and West Indies, and also home series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand in the shortest format.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee hasn't officially announced Hardik Pandya as T20I captain. Since Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli took a back seat in T20I for a while to focus on ODI and Tests, BCCI might've decided to hand over leadership duties to Hardik in shortest format.
It remains to be seen whether Hardik Pandya will get to lead the side in T20I once he returns to international cricket after IPL 2024.
