BCCI VP Rajiv Shukla extends birthday wishes for Hardik Pandya

New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice president Rajiv Shukla extended birthday wishes for Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who turned 32 on Saturday.

Writing on his X handle, Shukla said, “Wishing India’s dynamic all-rounder, @hardikpandya7 very happy birthday. May the year ahead bring you greater success, good health, and memorable performances for Team India. Continue to shine, lead with positivity, and make the nation proud.”

Pandya has represented India in 225 matches and has 4296 career runs to his name, including 206 wickets. The now 32-year-old has emerged as a true all-rounder for India in the shortest format.

His last appearance in India colours came during the 2025 Asia Cup, where he played all the games of the group stage and Super Fours before missing out on the summit clash.

While Pandya didn’t contribute much with the bat, with his highest knock being 38 against Bangladesh in the Super 4s at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, he picked up four wickets in the six games he played. He was crucial in providing his team with key breakthroughs.

However, he was unable to participate in the final of the tournament against Pakistan and was sidelined because of the quadriceps injury he had picked up before the summit clash.

As a result, the all-rounder was rested for the upcoming white-ball tour of Australia, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar mentioning that Pandya was not available for selection and would begin his rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

The Men in Blue are set to face the Aussies in three ODIs and five T20Is, with Shubman Gill leading the team in the 50-over format after being named the new ODI captain, and Suryakumar Yadav continuing as the team’s T20I skipper.

The Indian team is currently playing the West Indies side in the final Test match of the two-match series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

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