[In Pictures] "Peaceful start to my week"- Hardik Pandya meditates and trains as he prepares for a comeback
Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya is working hard during his rehabilitation process to reach full fitness. He has been out of action since October last year when he suffered an ankle injury during the 2023 World Cup match against Bangladesh in Pune.
Pandya missed the rest of the World Cup, including the final in which India suffered a heartbreaking loss against Australia. The all-rounder also did not participate in the T20I series against Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan over the past two months.
Pandya will most probably make his comeback at IPL 2024 in March, where he will lead the Mumbai Indians (MI). He returned to MI last November in an all-money trade after captaining Gujarat Titans successfully for two seasons.
Hardik Pandya took to his official X handle on Monday and shared a couple of pictures to give fans a glimpse of his recovery process. He can be seen meditating and training in the images. He captioned the post:
"Peaceful start to my week."
"You can see both Hardik and Shivam Dube together only if you take one wicket-keeper"- Zaheer Khan on Indian 2024 World Cup squad
Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan feels that both all-rounders Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya can be accommodated in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad, depending on the thought process of the team management. During a discussion on Colors Cineplex on the matter, Zaheer Khan said:
"They definitely can be, if you are planning like that. It will depend a lot on whether you are looking for a sixth bowling option or want to play five bowlers, the direction in which you want to go. If you say you need a sixth bowling option, you need a backup as well. If you talk about the squad, you can see both Hardik and Shivam Dube together only if you take one wicketkeeper instead of two wicketkeepers."
On comparisons of Shivam Dube with Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer added:
"A few glimpses are seen for sure, especially when he bends down and plays the shot over midwicket. In the T20 format, when the field opens up in the middle phase after the powerplay, you need to have a player who can hit over the top and get a six anytime."
Do you agree with Zaheer Khan's views above? Let us know your opinions on the matter in the comments section below.