India all-rounder Hardik Pandya will return to Baroda's squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy knockout matches after not being named in the team for the first few rounds of the tournament that commenced on Saturday across different venues. The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) announced that Pandya will join the squad during the knockout stages of the ongoing 50-over domestic tournament, provided the team qualifies. "He will play from the knockouts; he has informed us," Kiran More, a member of the Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) of the BCA, was quoted saying by Cricbuzz.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the national selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, have emphasised that players must participate in domestic competitions unless explicitly exempted. Pandya recently competed in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where Baroda reached the semifinals. Over seven matches, he scored 246 runs and took six wickets.
The 31-year-old has not played a non-T20 match in over 14 months, with his last appearance being during the ODI World Cup on October 19 last year against Bangladesh in Pune. He suffered an ankle injury in that match, sidelining him for an extended period, and he has since stopped playing red-ball cricket altogether.
His involvement in the one-day domestic tournament could be pivotal for his selection in next year's Champions Trophy, especially as India evaluate options like Nitish Reddy, an all-rounder from Andhra Pradesh who has showcased impressive performances in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series in Australia.
Since his injury, Pandya has participated in 38 T20 matches across international, IPL, and domestic competitions but has not played in other formats. This has fueled speculation that he is focusing solely on T20 cricket. However, Kiran More dismissed such claims, stating, "He participated in all the SMAT matches, and he will play in the 50-over games too. Baroda performed well in the SMAT, reaching the semifinals, which they lost due to wet conditions in Bengaluru. Hopefully, the team will make it to the knockouts of the VHT as well."
Baroda, currently captained by Hardik's brother Krunal Pandya, is competing in Hyderabad as part of Group E, which includes Tripura, Kerala, Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) knockout rounds are scheduled to be hosted in Baroda from January 9, with the final set for January 18.
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