'I hope they don’t completely forget about him' - Sanjay Manjrekar on Hardik Pandya's absence due to recurring injuries

All-rounder Hardik Pandya will be missing India's upcoming tours to Ireland and England, being ruled out of both series due to a quadriceps injury. The star cricketer is already on his road to recovery at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence facility in Bengaluru, where he will look to sharpen his cricketing skills under the new performance block programme. However, Sanjay Manjrekar is concerned about Hardik's long absence.

Manjrekar has admired Hardik, adding that the Choryasi-born is a big-match player. The cricketer-turned-commentator added that while Hardik would be looking to get recuperated completely before making a comeback to the international arena, he is concerned that the selection committee might want to look beyond the all-rounder due to his injury-prone body and doubtful availability on a long-term basis.

“I am a huge admirer of Hardik Pandya’s ability. And if you want to see the real Hardik Pandya, then you just have to remember all the big games that he has played, especially World Cups, and see his contribution. And even the IPL, the final rounds, and the playoffs. Obviously, the selectors want him to be physically fit, ready and play more cricket,” he said, as quoted by Indian Express.

Manjrekar also made note of the reports circulating Hardik's possible relinquishing of captaincy duties with the Mumbai Indians ahead of the next IPL season. The former India batter believes that if Hardik is allowed to play without the burden of captaincy, it will enable him to play at the same old intensity, which he seems to have lost at the moment.

“He missed the last few games in the IPL. But I hope they don’t completely forget about him because this is a big match player, a player with tremendous ability. If he gets a relief from the captaincy, as a player, he might go back to the heights that he had achieved,” he added.

Notably, Hardik is slated to make a return not before India's tour of Sri Lanka in August and will be looking to fine tune himself completely before making a return. Meanwhile, Shivam Dube will be acting as the key all-rounder for the Men in Blue in Hardik's stead.