Praveen Kumar has hit out at Hardik Pandya for repeatedly skipping domestic red-ball cricket, and inquired whether Pandya was more committed towards his country or his IPL franchise.

Hardik Pandya, who was injured mid-way through the 2023 ODI World Cup, has been cleared fit for the upcoming Indian Premier League, where he will captain Mumbai Indians. He hurt his ankle during the World Cup, which ruled him out and he has not played for India since.

Pandya returned to cricket in the DY Patil T20 competition last month, where he picked up 2-22 against ONGC for Reliance.

Former Indian cricketer Praveen Kumar questioned the trend of injured players regaining fitness ahead of the IPL. He insisted that Pandya should prioritise playing for India. Praveen cited the example of Mohammed Shami, who played the World Cup with an injured ankle, took regular injections for his pain through the event, and was one of India’s biggest match-winners in their unbeaten run to the final. Shami will miss the IPL after undergoing surgery recently.

Praveen told journalist Shubhankar Mishra: “You need to do everything for the country. I don’t know if you know this, but Ashish Nehra’s feet were swollen due to the injections he took ahead of the England game in the 2003 World Cup, where he took six wickets. Dada [Sourav Ganguly] asked him whether he will be able to play. Ashu-bhai said, no problem, I will play. You need to have this commitment and passion.”

He also attacked current players for using the IPL to make a comeback into the international team: “No one is stopping the current players from making reels and partying, but they should put the country first, ahead of the franchise. Play domestic cricket, perform, then play at the international stage. The IPL should not be your launchpad back to international cricket, that’s wrong.

“Two months before the IPL, they get injured, train well in that duration, do well in the IPL and then think that’s how they will get picked for internationals. Now the board has also said that you need to play domestic cricket, which is the right move, be it [Ishan] Kishan, Shreyas [Iyer] or Hardik.”

When asked about the central contract controversy that saw Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer not being given retainers by the BCCI for their failure to play domestic red-ball cricket. Praveen asked why there were different rules for Hardik, who was given a Grade A contract despite last playing a red-ball game in 2018.

Praveen asked: “Has Hardik descended from the moon? He also needs to play, why are there different rules for him? The BCCI should threaten him too. Why will he only play the T20 regional games? Play all three formats. The country needs you, do it. The BCCI should also be questioned: Why are the rules different for different players?”

Earlier, Irfan Pathan had highlighted the discrepancy as well, but a report stated Pandya’s commitment to domestic white-ball cricket earned him the second-highest contract. Pandya last played a Test match for India in 2018, and has stayed away from the format since then due to a persistent back issue. He continues to play (and in Rohit Sharma’s absence, lead India in) ODIs and T20Is.

Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.