Hardik Pandya will play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy from Saturday

A week after Cricbuzz reported that Hardik Pandya is not playing in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT), the all-rounder has changed his mind. The latest from the Baroda camp is that Pandya will start playing in the 50-over tournament from Saturday (December 28).

The Baroda team, led by Hardik’s brother Krunal Pandya, is currently in Hyderabad and will face Bengal on Saturday. They have played two matches so far in the domestic one-day competition, having won both – against Tripura in the first round and against Kerala in the second round. The Bengal match will be their third round match after a gap of five days.

“He had some personal problems and that is why he was not available for the first few matches. He has reached Hyderabad and he will play tomorrow,” said Ajit Lele, the secretary of the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA). , to Cricbuzz on Friday evening. .

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the National Selection Committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, have made it clear that every cricketer must participate in domestic competitions unless otherwise advised or exempted.

As per the original plan, Pandya, who has not played a non-T20 match since injuring his ankle during the World Cup last October, was to participate in the VHT only from the knockouts, which incidentally will be played in his hometown from January 9. In in the last 14 months, Pandya has featured in 38 matches, all T20 matches, including internationals, IPL games and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) matches.

“He has had some discussions with coach Mukund Parmar and will play from now,” Lele said. Parmar also confirmed that Pandya will play against Bengal. Other matches for Baroda will be against Bihar, MP and Delhi.

Pandya’s participation in the VHT is very important considering that the Champions Trophy is on the horizon (in February-March). It is likely that there will be voters who see him in Hyderabad as well. Pandya (31) featured in seven matches in the SMAT, where Baroda reached the semi-finals. In these seven matches, Pandya scored 246 runs and claimed six wickets.