"I always fear for Hardik Pandya" - Kapil Dev on Indian all-rounder's injury woes
Former India captain Kapil Dev recently stated that he was concerned about talismanic all-rounder Hardik Pandya's fitness, pointing out how injuries have hampered the player's career in the past.
The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper was asked about Team India's recurring injury concerns. Responding to the question, Dev mentioned that the Men in Blue could become a formidable side if the main players weren't sidelined due to injuries.
The cricketer-turned-pundit made the remarks while speaking to ABP News. He said:
"Injuries are part and parcel of every sportsperson’s life. I hope the situation improves. I always fear for Hardik Pandya, he gets injured very quickly. If all of these players are fit and fine, India can become a compact team."
It is worth mentioning that the likes of Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Jasprit Bumrah are currently unavailable for selection due to their respective injuries. India would want their top stars to regain full fitness soon to be able to identify the right combination for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Hardik Pandya will next be seen in action against West Indies
Hardik Pandya was on a break following the completion of this year's Indian Premier League (IPL), where he captained Gujarat Titans (GT).
While the side made it to the final, they failed to conquer the final frontier. Gujarat suffered a heartbreaking five-wicket (DLS method) loss to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the summit clash in Ahmedabad and finished as runners-up.
Pandya will next be seen in action next month as India tour West Indies for a multi-format series. He has been named the vice-captain for the three-match ODI series and is expected to lead the side in the five-match T20I series.
Timings for the India vs West Indies series 🏏
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It is worth mentioning that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce the squad for the T20I series. The ODI series begins on July 27, while the T20I series kicks off on August 3.
India's squad for West Indies tour
Test: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Navdeep Saini.
ODI: Rohit Sharma (Capt), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya (VC), Shardul Thakur, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik, Mukesh Kumar.