Hardik Pandya gets into a heated argument with Rohit Sharma's close aid at 1st India nets under Gautam Gambhir

The Indian Cricket Team had their first practice session under new head coach Gautam Gambhir at the Pallekele International Stadium on Tuesday, July 23, and star all-rounder Hardik Pandya grabbed all the headlines for some good and surprising reasons ahead of the three-match T20I series.

However, the training session didn't go as smoothly as planned due to an altercation between Pandya and a Gambhir-headed Indian coaching staff member, which could have turned into a fierce argument, but media personnel defused the tension with his review.

The drama unfolds as Hardik Pandya and Abhishek Nayar involved in a disagreement during a practice session

According to a RevSports journalist, the incident took place during the simulation practice when Hardik hit a shot through a point region and claimed it was a boundary. However, Indian assistant coach Abhishek Nayar disagreed since he had a fielder placed in that area.

Nayar and Pandya continued to argue about the decision, and later the all-rounder asked about the exact placement of the fielder, and the assistant coach pointed to the position of a reporter in a red T-shirt during the simulation practice in Pallekele.

Eventually, they turned to the media personnel, as Nayar asked the reporter about the shot on Hardik's insistence, and the journalist said, “If you have placed your fielder here, then it's a boundary.” His response prompted both Hardik and Nayar to burst into laughter.

Well, Hardik ultimately won the simulation practice. Later, the Indian all-rounder and Nayar had a long discussion with the reporter at the end of the session, where Hardik, who was recently overlooked for India’s T20I captaincy and announced divorce from wife Natasa Stankovic, continued to discuss his shot.

Hardik Pandya and Gautam Gambhir's lengthy conversation steals the show

Meanwhile, Hardik was seen having a lengthy conversation with new head coach Gautam Gambhir during India’s first training session in Sri Lanka. Later, Hardik bowled to Indian openers Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal for approximately 40 minutes at the nets under the watchful eyes of Gambhir and Nayar on Tuesday.

The two top-order batters, Gill and Jaiswal, were instructed to start hitting from the very first delivery. It is being said that the Indian players had an extensive three-hour training session ahead of their upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, starting on July 27.

Hardik Pandya launches his performance wear on FanCode Shop

Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya has recently launched his brand identity along with a premium line of performance wear, exclusively available on FanCode Shop. The stylish collection perfectly matches Pandya’s energetic personality and athletic skills. Pandya’s new venture aims to strengthen his connection with fans and build a sense of community.

The initial collection is now available on the FanCode Shop, featuring t-shirts, vests, polos, shorts, and jackets. It is being said that India’s T20 World Cup 2024 winner was actively involved in the entire process, from providing design input to selecting fabrics and color swatches.

Hardik said at the launch: “By launching the identity and the range that I personally use and believe in, I feel like I’m sharing a piece of my daily routine and philosophy with my fans. I hope fans will enjoy wearing this as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it!”