All attention will be on Hardik Pandya as the star all-rounder gears up to captain Mumbai Indians (MI) in the forthcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pandya, who has been sidelined since last October due to an ankle injury sustained during an ODI World Cup match against Bangladesh in Pune, has begun his IPL preparations by training in Baroda alongside his brother Krunal Pandya and MI teammate Ishan Kishan. However, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan didn’t like the differential treatment with both sets of players.

Despite his recent absence from the field, Pandya was granted a Grade A contract by the BCCI in their annual player retainership.

In contrast, Kishan and Shreyas Iyer had their annual contracts terminated by the BCCI reportedly due to their decision to opt out of Ranji Trophy matches for their respective states, despite being declared fit.

“They are talented cricketers, both Shreyas and Ishan. Hoping they bounce back and come back stronger. If players like Hardik don’t want to play red ball cricket, should he and others like him participate in white-ball domestic cricket when they aren’t on national duty? If this doesn’t apply to all, then Indian cricket won’t achieve the desired results!,” Pathan posted on X.

They are talented cricketers, both Shreyas and Ishan. Hoping they bounce back and come back stronger. If players like Hardik don’t want to play red ball cricket, should he and others like him participate in white-ball domestic cricket when they aren’t on national duty? If this…

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 29, 2024

BCCI’s Decision For Hardik

Pandya has been a regular feature in India’s white-ball cricket setup, but the selection panel has been hesitant to include him in the Test squad, citing concerns about his physical endurance for the longest format of the game.

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that if Pandya is not inclined to play Test cricket, he should still participate in domestic white-ball competitions when not on national duty, advocating for uniform selection criteria for all players.

Subsequently, Pandya was traded to MI from Gujarat Titans prior to the IPL 2024 auction. Shortly after, MI announced that he would lead the team in the upcoming season, taking over the captaincy from long-serving skipper Rohit Sharma, who guided them to five IPL titles.

Also Read: Apart From Ishan Kisan And Shreyas Iyer, BCCI Also Axes These 4 Veterans Contract