Hardik Pandya may return for Mushtaq Ali Trophy; likely to play Ranji too

Hardik Pandya. Pic/AFP

With a big tour of Australia on the horizon, India's white-ball expert Hardik Pandya is planning to return to action after a break with an appearance in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to gear up for the white-ball part of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. However, sources told IANS that the India all-rounder also wants to play Ranji Trophy for his state, signalling a return to red-ball cricket and the hope of playing Test cricket again.

Pandya, the star of India's triumph in the World T20 World Cup in 2024, is likely to feature in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Baroda, sources told IANS on Friday.

According to sources, the India all-rounder has expressed his willingness to play the domestic white-ball cricket to Baroda Cricket Association (BCA). "Ranji Trophy, too, is what Hardik wants to play in. He is looking for a Test cricket comeback, keeping keeping Australia series in mind," the source told IANS on Friday.

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Pandya is not involved in the ongoing Duleep Trophy but it is felt that his desire to play in the Ranji Trophy could be an attempt to get into the Indian Test team for the prestigious five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy series.

Hardik last played white-ball cricket in July in two T20Is against Sri Lanka in Pallekele following India's triumph in the T20 World Cup in June.

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