New Delhi: Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya is all set to make a comeback to national team after a highly successful outing in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) picked Hardik Pandya in the squad announced for India vs South T20 International series. The series will mark Hardik's comeback to team India for the first time since the 2021 Men's T20 World Cup. Ahead of his much-awaited comeback, Hardik clarified that he wasn't playing for team India as he hadn't made himself available for selection and not because he was dropped by the selectors.
Hardik Pandya led Gujarat from the front for the entire IPL season. He scored 487 runs for his team in 15 IPL matches with help of four half-centuries. Pandya did remarkable well in bowling too as he bagged eight wickets and his economy was just 7.27. In IPL 2022 final, Hardik won 'man of the match award' for taking three wickets and playing a crucial 34-run knock.
Gujarat Titans on Friday posted a inspirational video in which Hardik can be seen talking about his 'break' from international cricket as the 28-year-old even thanked BCCI for not forcing him for a comeback.
"Lot of people don't know that I took off; It was my decision. A lot of misconception is that I was dropped. You get dropped when you are available. Thankful to the BCCI as they allowed me to take long breaks and did not even force me to come back," said Hardik.
"The old Hardik will be back. Now the fans are back, it's time for me to make comeback. A lot of matches are going to be played and I'm looking forward to it. What I did for my franchise, I will also make sure that I can also do the same for my country," the star all-rounder concluded.