Can India win WTC trophy without Hardik Pandya? Sunil Gavaskar's yet another bold call

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has called for strong efforts to reintegrate star all-rounder Hardik Pandya into the Test team. The former Indian skipper is confident that Hardik will play a crucial role in Team India's quest for their first World Test Championship (WTC) title and success in Australia.

Gavaskar claimed that Pandya's return to the Test folds could be a game-changer for the Indian cricket team, especially following his significant contribution to India's historic T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.

Sunil Gavaskar backs Hardik Pandya's Test comeback after T20 World Cup 2024 heroics

Notably, Pandya has been sidelined from Test cricket since 2018 due to recurring injuries, which have limited him to representing India in just 11 Test matches. Coming into his Test stats, Pandya has amassed 532 runs in 18 innings, including one century and four fifties, and has claimed 17 wickets with the best figures of 5/28 so far.

However, he is now prioritizing his white-ball career, considering the history of his back injuries. However, Gavaskar believes that the Indian cricket team management can bring Pandya back into the Test arena, saying that reintroducing the star all-rounder into red-ball cricket could significantly boost India's prospects of dominating the traditional format of the game.

The legendary batter mentioned that Pandya’s all-round capabilities provide great balance to the Indian team in Test cricket. Notably, India reached the World Test Championship (WTC) final twice since the tournament began but fell short on both occasions against New Zealand and Australia.

Indian Test team could become invincible with Hardik Pandya: Sunil Gavaskar

The upcoming five-match Test series in Australia later this year presents another chance for Team India to ensure their dominance and win their first WTC title, and Gavaskar feels Pandya’s return can guarantee them the trophy.

Sunil Gavaskar was quoted as saying to Revsportz: “Yes, absolutely, they can. I think in the next two months, there should be an attempt to convince Hardik Pandya to play Test cricket. If he bowls ten overs a day to go with his batting, this Indian team could become invincible, and they can surely go on and win the WTC and beat Australia in Australia.”

It's over between Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic!!

Meanwhile, speculation around the marriage of Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic has intensified, stirring up considerable buzz among fans and the media. They are not posting anything for each other, and they have not been seen together for a long time, which sparked rumors of their divorce.

The rumors gained momentum when Natasa was absent during Hardik's triumphant return from the T20I World Cup 2024. According to a Times Now report, a close friend of the couple hinted that Hardik and Natasa are not together anymore. He claimed that Hardik created the rift, and Natasa was not ready to solve the issues and reunite with the star all-rounder.

The friend was quoted as saying by Times Now, “Look, nobody knows what will happen in time to come. But as things stand today, Hardik and Natasa are not patching up. Probably, it's over.”