India head coach Gautam Gambhir has said Hardik Pandya must get regular match time if he is to be ready for the 2027 World Cup. Pandya has not played competitive cricket since the IPL and is not in India’s ODI series against the West Indies. Jasprit Bumrah is also being rested from that series, and both remain central to World Cup plans.
A rare all-round package
Gambhir said both players will be extremely important in South Africa. He stressed how few teams have someone like Pandya, who can bowl 10 overs, bat at six or seven and have real impact.
He added that Pandya in particular needs game time. Since the IPL he has played little, and if the only plan is for him to feature in the 50-over format, he could end up short of cricket.
No half-prepared players
With the World Cup approaching, Gambhir said players cannot arrive underprepared. He called match practice going into the tournament extremely important, saying a player’s rhythm must be good because there are no ifs and buts at a World Cup.
India A return
Pandya is expected to return for India A in the one-day series against Australia A in Puducherry from October 6 to 11. Those games should give him competitive cricket as he builds towards full readiness for the 50-over game, and India will want him to get enough match practice before the World Cup in South Africa.
