"Whatever T20I cricket there is, he should play as much as he can"- Ravi Shastri advises Hardik Pandya to improve fitness

Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri has urged star all-rounder Hardik Pandya to improve his fitness, especially in the bowling department. The 30-year-old has dealt with several injuries in his eight-year international career, including an ankle injury that kept him out of action from the middle of the 2023 ODI World Cup to IPL 2024.

Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar mentioned fitness as the key reason behind Pandya's T20I captaincy snub despite his impressive performances in the recently concluded World Cup.

Speaking to the ICC, Shastri advised Hardik Pandya to play as many T20Is as possible to return to the ODI setup.

"I think (it's) very important that he continues to play. I believe match fitness is very important. So whatever T20I cricket there is, he should play as much as he can. And if he feels strong and fit, then obviously he comes into the side for the one-day game as well," Shastri said.

Shastri also mentioned the importance of Pandya bowling his full quota of overs in the 50-over format.

"But then again, the bowling becomes important. If you have someone coming and bowling just three overs in where you have to bowl 10 in a one-day game, then the balance of the side takes a hit. If you can bowl consistently eight to 10 overs every game and then bat the way he does, I think he'll play in one-day cricket as well," he added.

Hardik Pandya is part of India's T20 squad for the ongoing Sri Lankan tour but isn't part of the ODI roster. He played the first two matches as India took an unassailable 2-0 series lead, with one match remaining.

"He shouldn't need any motivation to get his fitness right at the top there" - Ravi Shastri

[Credit: Getty] Hardik was crucial to India's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.

Ravi Shastri feels Hardik Pandya's terrific performances in the 2024 T20 World Cup should motivate him to achieve peak fitness. The all-rounder averaged 48 at a strike rate of 151.57 with the bat and picked up 11 wickets with the ball in the tournament.

"So I think it's up to him really, more than anything else. He understands his body better than anyone. And I'm sure, this will inspire him, especially with the way he did in the World Cup, the way he performed at the right times for India and the World Cup, so that should really get him going. He shouldn't need any motivation to get his fitness right at the top there," Shastri said.

Hardik Pandya has played 102 T20Is and 86 ODIs for India, scoring over 3,000 runs and picking up 170 wickets.