IND vs ZIM 2022: 3 reasons why Hardik Pandya must play the ODI series

India's ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya steaming with the ball and scoring some valuable runs is always good news. At the same time, his fitness has been the subject of constant criticism.

A recent report that saw former India coach Ravi Shastri open up about how his injury was a "massive" issue for the team during the World Cups further added more fuel to the already stinging fire.

While he has managed to send down a few overs in recent times he has suited up for the national team, doubts regarding consistency do continue to do the rounds, and this is perhaps the biggest reason why he needs to be on the plane to Zimbabwe for the three-match ODI series starting next month.

Ahead of a series that will surely see some new faces getting match time, we take a look at three reasons why Hardik Pandya needs to play all three matches.

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#1 Hardik Pandya brings in the experience

Having played substantial cricket for India across formats, Hardik Pandya is perhaps India's rightful Ben Stokes. His ability to send down nippy and pacy spells and tonk some runs in the middle makes him a valuable asset.

His experience comes to the fore when he plays with a young and hungry unit in Zimbabwe, and as one of the bigger names in the side, he will be keen on bringing in is years of skill and stay ahead of the competition.

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#2 Important gametime to build more skills

Keeping Hardik Pandya in games that give him room to improve makes him a more dangerous player for the opposition in the upcoming two World Cups. Playing against Zimbabwe gives him a shot at adding more skill to his repertoire, making him a complete all-rounder.

One of the best examples of fine-tuning his skills was his improved batting in the IPL 2022 where he was a central figure in Gujarat Titans' middle-order. He ended the season as the side's highest run-scorer with 487 runs from 15 games at an average of 44.27 and a strike rate of 131.26.

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#3 A chance to shake off rust after missing out games due to workload management

Thrusting Pandya into action after missing the odd series is just asking for more trouble. Not only does that leave India to field a Baroda all-rounder who may breakdown in between due to injuries, but will also be rusty without quality match time.

With more series against Australia and South Africa lined up in addition to the much-awaited Asia Cup, it makes sense to have him play as many games as possible to stay in shape and match-ready.