Sourav Ganguly wants India all-rounder Hardik Pandya to return to Test cricket

Former BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has said that he wants to see Hardik Pandya return to Test cricket as he feels the all-rounder can be an asset in the longest format of the game.

Hardik last played a Test match in 2018 and has been away from the setup since suffering a back injury. There have been calls to have him back in time for the World Test Championship final, but the all-rounder ruled himself out of contention.

However, Ganguly feels that Hardik can be an asset in Test cricket. Speaking to The Times Of India, the former BCCI President said that the all-rounder should return to the longest format of the game and hailed him as a very special cricketer.

“There will be specialists in T20s. There’s Hardik Pandya although I still feel he is an asset in Test cricket also and he should come back to Test cricket because that’s what he will be remembered for. He is a specialist in ODIs and T20Is. But he



is a very special cricketer,” said Ganguly.

Ganguly suggested that despite there being a lot of money in T20 cricket, a lot of players still prefer playing in all formats of the game.

“I think money has nothing to do with how players play. It’s great that money has come into the sport and that’s how it should be. But I believe the majority of the players want to play all formats as long as they are good. It’s terrific to see how hungry these boys are,”

Speaking about finding a successor for Rohit Sharma, Ganguly feels that all eyes will be on the IPL as a performance in the league cannot be ignored.

"IPL is a good breeding ground. We have seen how well Hardik Pandya has captained in the IPL. That’s one of the reasons he has been captaining India in the shorter formats also. You can’t ignore wins and losses in the IPL because it’s a very tough tournament," said Ganguly.