India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has returned to playing competitive cricket ahead of IPL 2024. Pandya, who suffered an ankle injury during last year’s home World Cup, appeared for his first competitive cricket match for Reliance 1 in the DY Patil T20 Cup in Navi Mumbai on Monday (Feb 26).
The right-handed cricketer picked two for 22 from his quota of three overs and helped his team cross the winning line in a tight chase by coming in at number 10. Pandya’s Reliance beat Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited by two wickets.
After completing the rehab, Pandya trained in Baroda for some time; later featured in three practice T20 matches alongside Rishabh Pant organised by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Alur last week. Pandya batted and bowled in all those matches and later got clearance from the NCA to feature in this ongoing tournament.
Following the completion of this tournament, Pandya will return to the NCA in early March for a scheduled final assessment test before joining Mumbai Indians’ training camp ahead of the 17th season of the IPL, beginning on March 22 in Chennai.
Besides Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer will also feature in the DY Patil T20 Cup.
Top stars return to cricket field
Following an unsavoury episode surrounding a few centrally contracted players, mainly Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer, and the BCCI officials, the concerned India cricketers have returned to on-field cricket.