Hardik Pandya was included in the Indian Cricket Board’s central contract even after missing out on red-ball cricket for the longest time. While players like Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were excluded from the team, Pandya was retained by the Board. Many controversial questions have been raised after this decision about why Hardik Pandya was retained even though he was not involved in red-ball cricket.
Therefore, the reason why the board included Hardik was quite simple. He was in the loop with the selectors and the officials regarding his concerns related to his health and injuries. In 2018, after encountering a back problem following his last appearance in whites for India, Hardik stopped playing red-ball cricket for India. After undergoing surgery in 2020, he lost a year of his cricketing career. However, he bounced back efficiently.
If Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan’s case is considered, they weren’t in touch with the selectors. After the World Cup, Ishan took a mental break from cricket by informing the sectors. However, he has not played in any series after that. In the case of Shreyas Iyer, as he was dropped by the sectors from the squad after the second Test match, he was supposed to go back to Mumbai to play Ranji matches. He didn’t do that either. Thus, the Board excluded the players from the central contract list.
India win series against England, 3-1
In their golden Bazball period, India defeated the English team in a 5-match series. The best part of the series was making the visitors quiet for the longest time. Throughout the series, whatever questions the Indian bowlers or hitters threw at them, the visitors had no response.
Furthermore, because the Indian side played this series gracefully without Mohammed Shami, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, or Jasprit Bumrah (4th Test), it became even more memorable for them. Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, and Shubman Gill had some outstanding innings that bode well for Indian cricket’s future. The young players excelled throughout the entire series, which contributed to the side’s dominance over the English team.
