IND vs AFG 2024: “He needs to start playing cricket first” – Kiran More urges Hardik Pandya to be consistent with his fitness

Former Indian selector Kiran More has urged all-rounder Hardik Pandya to be consistent with his fitness. Pandya is currently recovering from an ankle injury, which he suffered in the ODI World Cup. The all-rounder was also not named in the 16-man squad for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan.

More said Pandya first needs to start playing cricket and be more consistent with his fitness. Pandya has had injury woes in the past and thus he hasn’t been able to play consistently at the top level.

Speaking to Sports18, Kiran More said, “Firstly, Hardik needs to get fit. He needs to start playing cricket first, that’s extremely necessary. Once he does that, Hardik Pandya definitely ticks all the boxes. He has also been the captain earlier.”

The former wicket-keeper bat feels Hardik Pandya will get back in the Indian squad as soon as he regains full fitness.

“We don’t know the selectors’ thinking, what has gone on inside, but Hardik will come into the team as soon as he gets fit. He needs to play matches before the World Cup. We don’t know when he will start, probably in the IPL, but he is preparing hard. He is the world’s top all-rounder and every team will want to have him.”

Meanwhile, the selectors recalled Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to the T20I squad after a long period of 14 months. More said the selection committee’s thinking has changed as Kohli and Rohit were not in the T20I plans.

“They have been selected based on their recent form. Your (selectors) thinking changed slightly after two years. I don’t know what their thinking was earlier but both gave fantastic performances in the World Cup and looked in form in the South Africa series as well.”

More reckons Rohit’s ODI World Cup form played a key role in his selection for the T20I format.

“The way Rohit Sharma captained in the World Cup and we reached the final as well, he played exceptional innings, the aggression he showed, so the thinking changed slightly. So both have been recalled and it is very good news for Indian cricket.”

The first T20I between India and Afghanistan will be played at Mohali on 11th January.