The BCCI’s Centre of Excellence’s Sports Science team has given senior batsman Rohit Sharma and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya the all-clear to play in the forthcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, which begins in Dharamsala on Sunday.
Pandya and Rohit both missed a significant number of Mumbai Indians IPL games. Rohit had a sore hamstring while Pandya struggled with back spasms. Since June 2, Hardik has been at the CoE in Bengaluru.
“Hardik was on a holiday abroad before he checked in at the CoE on June 2. Over the next five days, he did several match simulations and even bowled (full quota of) 10 overs,” PTI quoted a BCCI source as saying.
“There has been no discomfort and the information is that his fitness data for various parameters has been okayed by Strength and Conditioning coaches at the CoE,” the source added.
After an examination, former captain Rohit, who was also at the CoE to evaluate his hamstring ache, was also cleared.
Sitanshu Kotak, India’s assistant coach, stated on Monday that he thought the all-rounder was performing well despite not having an update on Pandya’s fitness.
Pandya is a crucial component of India’s white ball setup because of the balance he provides with his fast bowling and powerful hits in the last overs. The most comforting thing is that Pandya is prepared for the demands of 50-over cricket because he is bowling 10 overs during training.
However, it’s unclear if Pandya will join the squad in Chandigarh for a light-filled training session or if the original idea was to link up directly in Dharamsala.
Due to a hamstring injury, batting stalwart Virat Kohli is already out of the series. In addition to Dharamsala, the series will be played in Lucknow on June 17 and Chennai on June 20.
