The past few months have been a whirlwind for India's star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya. Last November, Mumbai Indians fans rejoiced at Hardik's return two years after the franchise released him. However, their joy quickly turned to discontent when he was appointed captain, abruptly ending five-time winning skipper Rohit Sharma's tenure. The season spiralled into a disaster for Hardik and MI, with fans booing their new captain and reports surfacing of team discord as MI finished at the bottom of the table.

Despite this turmoil, Hardik retained the confidence of the Indian team management. He made his international comeback in the T20 World Cup, returning to the side for the first time since being sidelined from the ODI World Cup due to injury last year. Hardik staged a remarkable return in the face of poor form and fan hostility during the two-month IPL campaign, delivering match-winning performances that helped India remain unbeaten and ultimately secure the T20 World Cup title.

All seemed well for Hardik, who, after Rohit retired from the T20Is, was all set to become the next Indian captain in the shortest format. However, things turned quickly for the worse for the all-rounder yet again, as the new head coach, Gautam Gambhir, instead opted for Suryakumar Yadav to take over the reins. Moreover, Hardik Pandya has been told to return to domestic cricket and gain fifty-over experience; the all-rounder's last appearance in the format came at the ODI World Cup last year.

Hardik hasn't been a regular in domestic cricket for quite some time. When he recovered from the ankle injury he sustained at the World Cup last year, Hardik opted to play in DY Patil T20 tournament when his state team, Baroda, was taking part in the Ranji Trophy. The all-rounder hasn't played in white-ball formats for Baroda in the recent past, too.

Former Baroda coach Dav Whatmore, who has also coached international teams including Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe, among others, has now made a rather candid remark on Hardik. Talking to Pakistan's YouTube channel Pak Passion, Whatmore talked about Hardik's lack of appearances for Baroda and why he is “amused” at the played being called a 'Baroda all-rounder'.

“There's still some individuals who don't play white-ball cricket. For example, my last few years in Baroda, Hardik Pandya wouldn't ever play white-ball cricket. It always amuses me that he's termed as the all-rounder from Baroda but he hasn't played for Baroda for years! So, yes, there are some who don't do that,” Whatmore said.

The celebrated coach was part of Baroda for two seasons (2021-22 and 2022-23). With Hardik not a part of the ODI series against Sri Lanka, it is possible that the star all-rounder will finally make a return to his domestic steam in the next season's Vijay Hazare Trophy.

“But recently, I've seen that the BCCI have been keen that players participate in Ranjki Trophy as well as other two formats to ensure there see cricket as sports. Efforts are made to make sure 4-day cricket is not neglected,” Whatmore added further, recalling captain Rohit Sharma and the BCCI's insistence on players to prioritise Ranji Trophy over white-ball formats.