India’s ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya continues to recover from the ankle injury he suffered during the Bangladesh game in the 2023 World Cup. India might have benefited from his absence, with Mohammed Shami coming in and making all the difference till the final; but the hosts missed Pandya’s cool approach on the big day when Australia walked away with their sixth world title.

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Having recovered from a back injury earlier, Pandya suffered an unfortunate injury during the marquee event, ruling him out for an indefinite period. 

Now, with an eye on the upcoming ICC events, with the T20 World Cup in sight (June 2024), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the National Cricket Academy (NCA) have penned an 18-week high-performance programme for Pandya, with the sole purpose of working on how his body reacts to different fitness regimes.

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“We speak of workload management. This is precisely what it is all about. Is there a doubt on his ability as a T20 cricketer? No. What we rather need is setting long-term goals and ensuring endurance levels remain up to the mark,” said those privy to the information.

“First, let’s be clear. Pandya’s earlier injury (back) was completely different from the freak injury, or say ‘accident’ he suffered during the Bangladesh game in Pune. There is no relation between the two, and it would be unfair to say he wasn’t in top shape for the World Cup or to suggest that he is injury-prone.”

“He made a successful comeback from the back injury, has been in superb shape, and it was just an unfortunate incident,” the source added.

Not for the first time

Besides Pandya, other senior players like Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul had also undergone similar programmes in the past, with everyone returning from lengthy injury layoffs earlier this year.

“It is not something new. Shreyas, Bumrah and KL underwent similar programmes during their long injury layoffs, and the routine is designed keeping the next assignments in mind. Say for KL, wicket-keeping, subcontinent heat and everything was taken into account. Similarly, Bumrah was eased into cricket with Ireland T20Is before he went full throttle in the Asia Cup,” the source added.

Meanwhile, the selectors didn’t pick Pandya for South Africa’s white-ball leg as he remains unlikely to appear in the three-match Afghanistan T20Is as well. 

With a focus on his fitness heading into the IPL 2024 in March and the T20 World Cup that follows, NCA and the BCCI are prepared to treat Pandya’s workload differently. 

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