Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya wants to focus on his fitness at the moment and that is why he asked the national selectors not to consider his name for a while, as he is fully focused on achieving fitness. Pandya has not been able to bowl for both India and Mumbai Indians after surgery in 2019 due to a back problem.
According to the news, his focus is also on returning to bowling and he has asked the selectors to give him time. Pandya was a part of the Indian team for the T20 World Cup, but he could only bowl twice in 5 matches. In which he did not get any success.
Prior to the T20 World Cup, Pandya's bowling fitness was continuously monitored in the IPL, but he did not bowl in any match in both phases of the tournament. Even Pandya last bowled in IPL in 2019 and he played the 2020 season as a batsman.
Due to fitness, Pandya was not selected in the team for the recently played 3 T20 series against New Zealand and now it is also believed that he will not be a part of the South Africa tour either.
Former India captain Kapil Dev had said in the past whether Hardik Pandya can be called an all-rounder, while he does not bowl that much. He had said that to be called an all-rounder, he would have to do both. If he is not bowling, will he be called an all-rounder? He has recovered from the injury, so let him bowl first.