Hardik Pandya returns to this team after 8 years, and keeps his promise to BCCI.

On one hand, the Indian team will be on the field to play a Test match against Australia in Perth from November 22, while a day later, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will also be seen in action. Hardik Pandya, who has been out of the Test team for a long time, will be seen showing his talent not in Australia, but in India itself. No, Team India is not going to play any ODI or T20 series, rather Hardik Pandya is going to play domestic cricket again after a break of a few years. Hardik is returning to his home team Baroda for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy starting from November 23, where he will play under the captaincy of his elder brother Krunal Pandya.

A report in the English newspaper Times of India has revealed that right-handed fast bowling-allrounder Hardik Pandya is available for this T20 tournament and so naturally he got a place in the squad. Hardik's return will greatly strengthen Baroda, which has made a great start in the Ranji Trophy this season. Last season, the team missed out on winning the Mushtaq Ali Trophy and had to face defeat in the final. Hardik was then away from cricket action due to injury. Hardik is making a comeback in this tournament after 8 years. He last participated in the Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2016.

In this major T20 tournament of BCCI's domestic cricket starting from November 23, Baroda has been placed in Group B along with Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Karnataka, Sikkim and two neighbours Saurashtra, Gujarat. Baroda's first match will be against Gujarat, which will be played at Holkar Stadium in Indore. Hardik Pandya is expected to be available for the entire tournament, which will end with the final on December 15. During this time, Team India will not play any white ball series or tournament. In such a situation, this tournament will prove to be important in keeping Hardik match fit and preparing him for the upcoming challenge. Hardik will then return to the ODI and T20 series against England in January 2025.

Hardik playing this tournament is considered to be a part of the BCCI order that the Indian Board has issued for the national team players this year. Earlier this year, the board had excluded Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the central contract for not playing Ranji Trophy. During this time, BCCI also talked to Hardik Pandya and according to reports, Hardik had assured the board officials that he would play limited overs tournaments like Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy in the upcoming domestic season, after which the board kept him in A grade in the central contract.