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Hardik Pandya, an Indian cricket player, will play for Baroda under the guidance of his older brother Krunal Pandya in the next Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024. On November 23, the day before the IPL 2024 major auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the domestic T20 league is set to start.
Hardik is making his long-awaited comeback to domestic cricket with this. His last SMAT participation was in January 2016, while his most recent Baroda appearance was during the 2018–19 Ranji Trophy season. Notably, Hardik’s ascent was greatly aided by the summit encounter against Uttar Pradesh, which came less than a week before his T20I debut for India. At the Adelaide Oval in 2016, the talented all-rounder made his debut for India against Australia.
According to a source, “the association usually names squads of 18 members, but this time around, only 17 members were named initially, and Hardik has now been added to the squad.”
Hardik’s national team obligations and injury issues were the primary reasons for his absence from domestic cricket. However, centrally contracted players must now play in local events when they are not representing their country and are injury-free, according to a recent regulation by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Hardik’s adherence to the directive is demonstrated by his inclusion in the Baroda squad for the domestic T20 championship in 2024.
After placing second last season, can Baroda persevere?
In the previous season, Baroda had an incredible performance, finishing second after losing to Punjab in the Mohali final. Alongside formidable teams like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Saurashtra, Baroda has been assigned to Group B for this season. The other sides in the group are Sikkim, Tripura, and Uttarakhand.
With 27 points from five games, Baroda, led by Krunal Pandya, is dominating Group A in the Ranji Trophy thanks to some outstanding cricket this season.
Also Read: SMAT 2024: Karnataka name 15-man squad, Mayank Agarwal to lead
Hardik’s return will be a tremendous lift to their spirits as they turn their attention to the white-ball format. On Saturday, November 23, Baroda will play Gujarat in the first match of their SMAT campaign.
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