Praveen Kumar has hit out at Hardik Pandya for repeatedly skipping domestic red-ball cricket, and inquired whether Pandya was more committed towards his country or his IPL franchise. On his youtube show the retired Indian pacer questioned, “Has Hardik Pandya descended from the moon?”
Hardik Pandya was injured mid-way through the 2023 ODI World Cup. He hurt his ankle during the World Cup, which ruled him out and he has not played for India since. But he has been named as captain of Mumbai Indians for IPL 2024. He also has been cleared fit for the upcoming Indian Premier League. Former Indian cricketer Praveen Kumar questioned the trend of injured players regaining fitness ahead of the IPL. He insisted that Pandya should prioritise playing for India.
Praveen said, “You need to do everything for the country. I don’t know if you know this, but Ashish Nehra’s feet were swollen due to the injections he took ahead of the England game in the 2003 World Cup, where he took six wickets. Dada [Sourav Ganguly] asked him whether he will be able to play. Ashu-bhai said, no problem, I will play. You need to have this commitment and passion.”
“No one is stopping the current players from making reels and partying, but they should put the country first, ahead of the franchise. Play domestic cricket, perform, then play at the international stage. The IPL should not be your launchpad back to international cricket, that’s wrong.”
“Two months before the IPL, they get injured, train well in that duration, do well in the IPL and then think that’s how they will get picked for internationals. Now the board has also said that you need to play domestic cricket, which is the right move, be it Kishan, Shreyas or Hardik”, Praveen continued.
He asked, “Has Hardik descended from the moon? He also needs to play, why are there different rules for him? The BCCI should threaten him too. Why will he only play the T20 regional games? Play all three formats. The country needs you, do it. The BCCI should also be questioned, Why are the rules different for different players?”