hardik pandya Has not been named in any of India's T20I squads. The Men in Blue are set to play T20I matches against Ireland and England before competing in the Asian Games. The Baroda all-rounder had a disappointing Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign as Mumbai Indians (MI) finished ninth in the points table under him. Hardik's performance with bat and ball was also disappointing.
On Saturday, June 6, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee announced India's squad for the T20I matches against Ireland, England and the much-awaited Asian Games. While Shreyas Iyer being made captain in place of Suryakumar Yadav in the shortest format is making headlines, Hardik's absence from each team is another important topic of debate.
After announcing the team in front of the media, Agarkar answered questions related to the selection call. Talking about Hardik's absence, the former India fast bowler said that the 32-year-old has been selected for the ODI squad to face Afghanistan and in the shortest format, the selectors are keen to give him adequate rest by adopting a rotation policy.
“With respect to Hardik, he is part of the ODI squad. There will be some rest and rotation with respect to T20Is, the World Cup is 18 months away, he gives us a lot of balance. If he is bowling well enough, we will assess how he performs,” Agarkar said.
BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia said that Hardik is currently in the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he is undergoing rehabilitation program. He will soon go for the final test.
Nitish Kumar Reddy has been selected in the squad and is expected to replace Hardik in the upcoming T20 matches. The Andhra Pradesh all-rounder had performed brilliantly for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2026.
Reddy scored 302 runs in 14 matches at an average of 30.20 and strike rate of 171.59. His bowling also looked sharp. The 23-year-old added some pace to his performance and took eight wickets at an average of 40.38. It seems that the BCCI selectors want to give Reddy a long-term opportunity in T20 cricket.
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