Hardik Pandya joins Team India in New York, starts training on ‘national duty’ for T20 World Cup

Hardik Pandya, who has been going through a lean patch, will be Rohit Sharma’s deputy in the T20 World Cup.

Flamboyant India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has reached the USA and he straightaway started training with the Indian team. Hardik, who had a tough IPL season, didn’t travel with the first batch of players but he has reached the New York and posted photos of the first training session on social media.

Team India has started the preparations for the mega ICC event and focused on bringing the trophy back home. India won the inaugural T20 WC title in 2007 under MS Dhoni‘s leadership but have been eluded from the title since then.

Pandya, who has been struggling, will be Rohit Sharma’s backup in the Twenty20 World Cup. He shared a couple of pictures on social media. The Indian all-rounder captioned the photo, “On national duty.”

The 30-year-old’s IPL season with the Mumbai Indians was forgettable. The five-time champions traded him before the season began, and he was also named the team’s captain, which infuriated the supporters who were upset that Rohit Sharma had been removed from the captaincy role. Pandya received backlash on social media and was jeered by supporters at multiple events.

Nothing went as planned for him on his homecoming to MI after two years as they finished at the bottom of the points table. He also struggled with the bat and scored just 216 runs in 14 matches but managed to regain his bowling form in the second half and claimed 11 wickets in IPL 2024.

There was speculation throughout the season that MI’s dressing room was a divided house due to the change of guard. Rohit will now captain the national side with Pandya as his deputy in the mega ICC event. Meanwhile, Rohit had a decent IPL 2024 season with the bat, scoring 417 runs at an average of 32.07 and a strike rate of 150. He scored a century and fifty, with the best score of 105*.

India will start their T20 World Cup campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the newly constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

Meanwhile, the most-awaited blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan will take place on June 9. They will later play tournament co-hosts USA (June 12) and Canada (June 15) to wrap up their Group A matches.

This post indicates that Pandya has traveled to New York to join his teammates and is prepared for the upcoming mega event, which the USA and the West Indies will co-host.

The Indian cricket team is in New York getting ready for the June 2 start of the ICC 2024 T20 World Cup.
Following their arrival in New York a few days ago, the first group of Indian cricket players, which included captain Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and head coach Rahul Dravid, have begun their training sessions.

Back to team after a break

During the 2023 ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh, Hardik Pandya injured his ankle when he slipped on his bowling follow through.

The all-rounder from Gujarat then missed series against Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan. He subsequently joined the Mumbai Indians after a controversial transfer from the Gujarat Titans.

Hardik Pandya will now look to turn around his fortunes and deliver a strong performance in the World Cup.

Hardik travelled solo

Due to IPL commitments, some players chosen for the World Cup had to make their own travel arrangements. Hardik Pandya’s delayed travel was attributed to personal reasons.

Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh flew to the USA independently after the IPL playoffs. Virat Kohli is yet to join the team in the USA and is expected to do so in the coming days.

 The initial group included players like Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav. Another batch comprised Avesh Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Yuzvendra Chahal from the Rajasthan Royals who played playoffs.

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