Hardik Pandya, the star all-rounder of the Indian team, has already begun preparations for the 2027 One Day World Cup. Reports indicate that Pandya has made it clear to the selectors and team management that he wants to be part of the 2027 World Cup.

With this goal in mind, he has been focusing on his bowling for the past few months. The main condition set by the team management and selectors is that Pandya must be fully fit to bowl a complete 10 overs in One Day cricket when needed. Although he will not be required to bowl a full spell in every match, he should be able to take on this responsibility when the team needs him.

This is why Pandya is paying special attention to his fitness and workload management. His progress in this direction was evident during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he bowled a full 10 overs against Chandigarh, taking three wickets. This performance clearly indicated that he is preparing himself to bowl long spells.

Previously, he was not included in the One Day series against New Zealand for the same reason, as he was not deemed fully fit to bowl 10 overs. The 2027 World Cup will be held in South Africa, where the pitches are considered favorable for fast bowlers. In this context, the role of a seam-bowling all-rounder like Hardik Pandya could be crucial for the team.

However, the selectors remain cautious about his fitness, as he has previously been sidelined for extended periods due to injuries. The selectors are also keeping an eye on Nitish Kumar Reddy as a backup for Pandya, as he has been working on his bowling in domestic cricket and trying to increase his workload. Looking at Pandya's past record, during the 2018 tour of South Africa, he bowled 44 overs in 6 One Day matches, taking 4 wickets with an economy rate of 4.90.

However, he did not make a significant impact with the bat. Overall, Hardik Pandya's focus is clear; he aims to play a key role for Team India in the 2027 World Cup through fitness, consistency, and all-round performance.

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Mumbai, March 19 – Mumbai Indians will be without their regular captain, Hardik Pandya, in their opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season due to a one-match suspension. As per agency report, Pandya was penalized for a slow over-rate violation during the previous IPL season, rendering him unavailable for the team's first match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. In his absence, vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav will take over the leadership role.

Suryakumar, who recently led the Indian national T20 team to a 4-1 series victory over England at home, will now have the opportunity to captain Mumbai Indians in their season opener. However, his recent batting performances have not been at their best, as he managed only 38 runs across five matches in the England series.

Addressing the situation at a pre-season press conference, Pandya acknowledged Suryakumar's leadership credentials, pointing out that he has already captained the Indian national team. Mumbai Indians' head coach Mahela Jayawardene also confirmed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had officially informed the franchise about Pandya’s suspension due to multiple slow over-rate offenses in the 2024 season.

Mumbai Indians had a difficult campaign last year, winning only four matches while suffering ten defeats. It was Pandya’s first year as the team’s captain after he replaced Rohit Sharma, who had led the franchise to five IPL titles.

Mumbai - Indian cricket sensation Hardik Pandya, known for his aggressive play on the field and flamboyant style off it, has once again found himself at the center of media attention, this time for his personal life. After recent reports of a split from wife Natasha Stankovic and rumors of dating Bollywood actress Ananya Pandey, Pandya is now reportedly in a relationship with British singer and TV star Jasmine Walia.

The latest buzz is that Pandya and Walia recently vacationed together in Greece, adding fuel to the rumors. Jasmine Walia, who hails from Essex, London, has made a name for herself both in the music industry and on social media. Of Indian origin, Jasmine first gained prominence on the British reality TV series "The Only Way is Essex." Starting as an extra in 2010, she rose to lead actress status by 2012, solidifying her place in the entertainment world.

Walia transitioned into the music industry by launching her YouTube channel in 2014, where she showcased her vocal talent by covering popular songs. Her collaborations with artists like Jack Knight, Intense-T, and Green Music paved the way for her major break with the hit track "Bod Diggy" in 2017. Her fame skyrocketed when the song "Bum Diggi Diggi Bum" was featured in the Bollywood film "Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety" in 2018.

In 2022, Jasmine collaborated with "Bigg Boss-13" finalist Asim Riaz in the music video "Knights N Fights," which was well-received and even featured on a Times Square billboard. With a massive online following, Jasmine has 6.4 lakh followers on Instagram and 5.7 lakh subscribers on YouTube, where her bold and sensational posts frequently go viral.

As Pandya and Walia's rumored relationship continues to be the talk of the town, fans are eagerly watching for more updates on the cricketer's off-field adventures.

New Delhi, Dec 23 (IANS) Of late, there has been a lot of chatter around Hardik Pandya’s availability for IPL 2024, with many reports claiming that he will not be available for the tournament.

But if sources are to be believed, then Pandya has been walking around and is very much on the recovery route, while saying the talk of IPL availability is a bit far-fetched at the moment.

Pandya has been out of competitive cricketing action since sustaining a left ankle injury during India’s league match in 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup game against Bangladesh in Pune on October 19. Shortly after, he was ruled out of the campaign and has been on the recovery plus rehab route.

More recently, he was traded to Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans and became the side’s skipper, replacing five-time championship winning captain Rohit Sharma in the top job ahead of IPL 2024. “Hardik has been walking around, and is currently in recovery phase to be match-fit. His gym-work is on and the left ankle is not in a cast,” said a source tracking the development to IANS.

Pandya’s posts on Instagram for this month have shown him walking around freely and without the ankle kept in a cast, which the source also pointed out that the road to achieving match fitness is ongoing. “Talk of his IPL availability is far-fetched at the moment as the tournament is more than two and a half months away.”

“Plus, many are awaiting the report from the NCA, which will tell about his progress, and more importantly, about his availability for not just IPL 2024, but also for India’s T20Is against Afghanistan happening next month. The NCA report and related clearances will determine Hardik’s future availability,” added the source.

All eyes will now be on India’s T20I squad for the series against Afghanistan, as apart from Hardik, Suryakumar Yadav and Ruturaj Gaikwad will be undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA for their ankle and ring finger injuries respectively, while Ishan Kishan opted out of Tests against South Africa due to personal reasons.

It will be the first time India will be facing Afghanistan in a bilateral men’s T20I series, with the matches happening on January 11, 14 and 17 in Mohali, Indore and Bengaluru respectively. This will be India’s last international series before the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup takes place in the West Indies and the USA from June 4-30.

Surat, Dec 11 (IANS) The Captaincy conundrum in Team India's white-ball squad still remains a puzzle, however, with regards to Hardik Pandya taking the reins of Mumbai Indians following the era of Rohit Sharma seems pretty evident.

Having rejoined the Mumbai Indians squad following a two-year stint with the Gujarat Titans, where he led the franchise to an IPL title in 2021, Hardik brings "leadership" experience to the table. With Mumbai Indians, he was a major force to reckon with, winning four IPL titles (2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020).

Former Sri Lanka bowler Dilhara Fernando feels Hardik should captain Mumbai Indians since he has the "leadership" qualities to lead a side.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, Fernando, who was part of the Mumbai Indians IPL franchise between 2008 and 2011, spoke about Mumbai Indians' culture.

"I think Hardik going to MI is a good choice because he has the leadership qualities, I think after Rohit Sharma, he'll lead Mumbai Indians that's what I feel," said Fernando.

"We always have been very competitive we take every game seriously and the dressing room environment was fantastic where senior players used to share their experiences with the young guys. During my era, it was a really good experience for me," he added.

Hardik's journey with Mumbai Indians began in 2015, and his stellar performances earned him a spot in the Indian national team in 2016. He played a pivotal role in Mumbai Indians' IPL triumphs, showcasing his prowess from 2015 to 2021.

Former West Indies batter Dwayne Smith, who won the IPL title with Mumbai Indians in 2013, said Hardik's inclusion ahead of IPL 2024 has made Mumbai Indians a "little" stronger.

"Mumbai Indians have a very good culture, we had the belief, we had so many good players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, and Dinesh Karthik. So it is good to see him go back. I think it will make them a little stronger," Smith told IANS in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2023 season.

The IPL 2024 Auction is slated to take place on December 19 in Dubai.

Mumbai Indians Retained Players: Akash Madhwal, Arjun Tendulkar, Dewald Brevis, Ishan Kishan, Jason Behrendorff, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, N. Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera, Piyush Chawla, Rohit Sharma, Romario Shepherd (T), Shams Mulani, Surya Kumar Yadav, Tim David, Vishnu Vinod, Hardik Pandya (T)

Mumbai, Dec 9 (IANS) AS the Indian cricket team gets ready to launch its campaign in South Africa, here is some good news for it -- allrounder Hardik Pandya is likely to join his teammates ahead of schedule and may be available for the upcoming series against Afghanistan.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Honorary Secretary Jay Shah on Saturday gave an update on Pandya's injury saying that the allrounder will be available well before India's crucial series against England and the T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies.

Pandya had suffered an injury during the World Cup, hurting his ankle as he tried to stop the ball off his own bowling in the match against Bangladesh in Pune. He has been recuperating at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

"We are monitoring it (Pandya's injury) on a day-to-day basis. He is at NCA only, he is working very hard and we will let you know in due course the moment he is fit. He could be fit before the Afghanistan series also," said Shah on the sidelines of the WPL Auction here.

Talking about two other stars recuperating from injury, Shah said that pacer Mohammed Shami would be available for the Test matches against South Africa while the BCCI will take a final call on Pant's return to action, clearly indicating that it will be the board that will take the call and not his franchise whether the wicketkeeper batter will play in the upcoming ILP.

Shah said the BCCI has not yet decided on how long the extension given to the men's team management under Rahul Dravid will be.

Asked about the contracts of the coaching staff, Shah said they are yet to finalise them.

"We have given the extension but we are yet to finalise the contract. We did not get time at all, they finished (with the World Cup), I had a meeting with them and we agreed mutually that they would continue. We will sit down and decide once they return from South Africa," said Shah.

Asked about the lack of clarity on whether Rohit Sharma will play the T20 World Cup next year as he had recently decided to sit out the the white-ball matches on the South Africa tour, Shah said there is still time for that.

"What is the need to have clarity right now? It (T20 World Cup) is starting in June, we have the IPL before that and the series against Afghanistan," he said.

Shah was also asked about India not scheduling any more pink-ball matches after the one-Test against Australia at Eden, Shah said they are in talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on this matter.

New Delhi, Nov 27 (IANS) A day after IPL 2024 retentions deadline ended, Gujarat Titans’ captain Hardik Pandya has made a move to his first IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, following a trade between the two franchises.

In an official statement, the tournament also said MI has traded Australia all-rounder Cameron Green to Royal Challengers Bangalore, with both trades carried out as per the existing player fees.

Sources had been saying to IANS for the last few days that trades involving Hardik and Green were likely to happen even though they didn’t materialise before the IPL 2024 retentions deadline ended at 5pm on Sunday, November 26. It is to be noted that trade window is open till December 12, a week before the IPL auctions happen in Dubai on December 19.

Hardik led Gujarat to the IPL title in 2022 in their debut season, and was the Player of the Match in the final against Rajasthan Royals at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. In 2023, Gujarat made the IPL final for the second time in as many seasons, where they finished runners up to Chennai Super Kings.

“As the first captain of Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya has helped the franchise deliver two fantastic seasons that resulted in winning one TATA IPL championship and one appearance in the final. He has now expressed a desire to return to his original team Mumbai Indians. We respect his decision and wish him all the very best in his future endeavours,” said Vikram Solanki, Director of Cricket, GT.

In both seasons, under Hardik's leadership, Gujarat had topped the points table in the league stage. But it was at Mumbai, where Hardik began his IPL career from in 2015, at INR 10 lakhs. From an uncapped player, Hardik rose to be Mumbai's vital cog in the wheel as a fast-bowling all-rounder.

“Seeing Hardik back at Mumbai Indians makes me very happy. It is a happy homecoming. He provides great balance to any team he plays. Hardik’s first stint with the MI family was hugely successful, and we hope he achieves even more success in his second stint,” said Akash Ambani, owner of Mumbai Indians.

He also earned an India cap across all formats and was a member of their IPL title-winning seasons in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Hardik was released by Mumbai ahead of IPL 2022 mega auctions, and was taken in by Gujarat for INR 15 crores, where he spent two seasons.

In his stint with Gujarat, Hardik amassed 833 runs in 30 innings, with an average of 41.65 and strike rate of 133.49, hitting six half-centuries. He also took 11 wickets for the franchise at an economy rate of 8.1.

At Mumbai, Hardik will be re-united with Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and other members in IPL 2024, which marks his homecoming to the team where he rose to prominence in the cricketing world.

Hardik now becomes the third IPL captain to be traded after Ravichandran Ashwin moved from Punjab Kings to Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals traded Ajinkya Rahane also to Delhi in 2020.

“We are thrilled to welcome Hardik back home! It’s a heartwarming reunion with our Mumbai Indians family! From being a young scouted talent of Mumbai Indians to now being a team India star, Hardik has come a long way and we’re excited for what the future holds for him and Mumbai Indians!” said Nita M Ambani, owner of Mumbai Indians.

On the other hand, Green, who was bought for a whopping INR 17.5 crores at the IPL auction in December last year, featured in 16 matches for Mumbai. The Australian had an impressive start to the IPL, hitting an unbeaten century and two half-centuries while also taking six wickets as Mumbai’s campaign ended in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2023.

New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) Hardik Pandya is all set to leave Indian Premier League franchise (IPL) Gujarat Titans to return to his old home Mumbai Indians where he started his journey back in 2015, said reports.

As quoted by ESPNcricinfo, the trade will be in an all-cash deal comprising Mumbai paying INR 15 crore ($1.8 million approx.) as Hardik's salary and an undisclosed transfer fee to Titans. Hardik stands to earn upto 50% of the transfer fee.

However, source privy to Gujarat Titans after growing rumours has claimed that they can't afford losing Hardik after two great seasons. If the deal goes through it will possibly be the biggest player trade in IPL history. Neither franchise has yet made any public comment on the trade though.

Also Hardik will become the third captain to be traded after R Ashwin moved from Punjab Kings to Delhi Capitals, and Rajasthan Royals traded Ajinkya Rahane also to Capitals, in 2020.

The biggest challenge for Mumbai Indians will be having adequate purse for the trade. After the last auction, Mumbai had just INR 0.05 crore ($6000 approx.) left.

Franchises will get an additional INR 5 crore ($600,000 approx.) in their purse for the forthcoming auction. This only means Mumbai need to release player(s) to finish the Hardik trade.

The retention deadline expires on November 26 at 4pm IST.

Hardik led Titans to the title in 2022, their debut season in the IPL, and was the Player of the Match in the final against Rajasthan Royals. In 2023, the Titans made the IPL final for the second time in two seasons, where they came runners up to Chennai Super Kings. In both seasons, under Hardik's leadership, Titans had finished top of the points table in the league stage.

In his two-season stint at Titans, Hardik scored 833 runs in 30 innings, with an average of 41.65 and strike rate of 133.49. He took 11 wickets for them with an economy of 8.1. Hardik is currently injured, having suffered an ankle injury during India's ODI World Cup campaign.

It was at Mumbai, where Hardik began his IPL career and developed into one of the best allrounders in the game. Bought for INR 10 lakhs as an uncapped player in 2015, Hardik was a part of Mumbai's title-winning seasons in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

New Delhi, Nov 4 (IANS) New Delhi, Nov 4 (IANS) India all-rounder Hardik Pandya expressed his emotions on social media after an ankle injury cut short his ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign, stating that it is "tough to digest the fact" he will miss the remainder of the showpiece event.

The star all-rounder has been ruled out of the remainder of the mega tournament after failing to recover from an injury to his left ankle, he sustained during the league match against Bangladesh on October 19, the ICC confirmed on Saturday.

"Tough to digest the fact that I will miss out on the remaining part of the World Cup. I'll be with the team, in spirit, cheering them on every ball of every game. Thanks for all the wishes, the love, and the support has been incredible. This team is special and I'm sure we'll make everyone proud. Love, always, HP," Pandya wrote on social media platform X.

The 30-year-old limped off the field after injuring his left ankle while fielding on his own bowling during India’s fourth league match of the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup at MCA Stadium in Pune, and has not been a part of the Indian line-up since.

The Event Technical Committee has approved Prasidh Krishna as a replacement for Pandya in the India squad.

India have already qualified for the semifinal of the tournament and are the only team that are undefeated so far with seven wins in as many as matches in a row.

The men in blue will next face South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.

New Delhi, Nov 4 (IANS) India's unbeaten campaign to the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 has received a massive hit with news that star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will miss the remainder of the tournament after failing to recover from his ankle injury.

Pandya hurt his left ankle while bowling during India's World Cup match against Bangladesh in Pune last month.

The Event Technical Committee of the tournament has approved Prasidh Krishna as a replacement for in the India squad, the ICC said on Saturday.

Krishna has just 19 white-ball appearances to his name for India and was last seen at international level when he picked up the prized wicket of David Warner in taking 1/45 from nine overs against Australia just prior to the World Cup.

The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the player can be officially added to the squad.

With the Event Technical Committee approving India's replacement player, it means Krishna is available for selection for Sunday's crucial World Cup clash against fellow tournament pacesetter South Africa.

India and South Africa currently occupy the top two places on the World Cup standings and the winner of Sunday's match in Kolkata will be in the box seat to finish the group stage of the tournament in first spot.

New Delhi, Nov 1 (IANS) India allrounder Hardik Pandya is set to miss two more matches at the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023, against Sri Lanka and South Africa, as he continues to recover from an ankle injury he suffered against Bangladesh, suggests report.

Pandya got injured on his bowling against Bangladesh in Pune, in an attempt to stop the ball he twisted his right ankle leading to a walk off the ground. Pandya was sent to the National Cricket Academy, Bengaluru for the rehabilitation program for quick recovery.

However, the allrounder was expected to join the team directly in Lucknow in time for the October 29 game against England, he was forced to sit that game out as well due to a ligament injury.

The latest development from the privy source suggests that the Indian men’s cricket medical team is in constant touch with the NCA, hoping to get an update on his fitness in the next couple of days, and will not be able to take part in the Sri Lanka and South Africa games.

Pandya’s void in the team was filled by Mohammed Shami and Suryakumar Yadav. Shami with his brilliant bowling has claimed 9 wickets in just two games of the World Cup so far. Suryakumar was run out for 2 against New Zealand but made a comeback with a fighting knock of 49 off 47 deliveries.

India are sitting on top of the points table, and are the only unbeaten side in the tournament, with six wins from as many matches. 

They are next to play Sri Lanka, in Mumbai on Thursday, before heading to Kolkata for the game against South Africa.