[Watch] Hardik Pandya sweats it out in the training ground
Ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya was recently spotted running at a training ground as he continues to recover from the injury.
The Baroda all-rounder has been struggling with a lower-back issue that has kept him out of action for a couple of months. Hardik, who underwent surgery, has not been bowled full-fledged since his operation. There has been a dip in confidence levels which has also impacted his batting.
In a bid to regain full fitness, Hardik was seen sweating it out on the training ground.
The 28-year-old cricketer was last seen in action during the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE. Since then, he has been working on his fitness to comeback on a blazing note.
"I want to play as an all-rounder" - Hardik Pandya
Hardik, who was recently appointed as the captain of the Ahmedabad IPL team, has asserted that he is training to return as an all-rounder. The comments come after head coach Rahul Dravid lamented the absence of a proper all-rounder in the series against South Africa.
Dravid cited the lack of a proper all-rounder as a reason for the team’s whitewash in the ODI series against South Africa.
Speaking to Boria Majumdar on Revsports’ YouTube channel, Pandya said:
“That’s my plan. I want to play as an all-rounder. My preparation is all about playing as an all-rounder. If something goes bad, then I don’t know. But my preparation, my hard work is all about playing as an all-rounder.”
Meanwhile, Hardik has been left out of the limited-overs series against West Indies which includes three ODIs followed by the same number of T20Is.
The ODIs will take place in Ahmedabad on February 6, 9 and 11, followed by the T20Is on February 16, 18 and 20 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.