India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is eying to return to international cricket at the back of a successful IPL season. Pandya has been appointed as the captain of the Ahmedabad franchise. He was one of three draft picks for the team ahead of the mega auction.
Hardik Pandya hasn’t played any competitive cricket since the T20 World Cup as he is regaining his full fitness and he doesn’t want to rush his comeback this time. In the last T20 World Cup, India was knocked out from the group stage after losing two crucial matches against Pakistan and New Zealand and Hardik was the target of the critics as he was struggling with his form and fitness.
In an interview with Economic Times, Hardik Pandya spoke at length about his dream to win India the World Cup. He wants to remain at peak of his fitness for the World Cup. He said that he’s doing all his training and preparation keeping World Cup in mind.
“My main aim is to be at my peak when the World Cup happens. All my training, planning, preparation is keeping the World Cup in mind. I want to win the World Cup for the country. It will make me really happy and proud. It is like an obsession with me. IPL will give me a very good preparatory platform for the World Cup but all the hard work ultimately is for the Indian team and the World Cup,” Hardik Pandya said.
Ahmedabad franchise picked Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill as their three draft picks ahead of the auction
Hardik wants to come back as an all-rounder this time. Notable that he didn’t bowl a single over in the previous two seasons of IPL. He didn’t play in any tournament after the World Cup as he wanted to regain his full fitness.
“I have always rushed myself with my preparation keeping the team’s interest in mind. But this time I wanted some time off to prepare myself physically and mentally. I also wanted to take some time off for my family. We have spent a lot of time in bio bubbles, though everyone has tried to make us feel comfortable, staying in a bio bubble is very tough,” he added.
IPL 2022 is likely to begin in the last week of March and will go on till the last week of May.