The last time Hardik Pandya played a red-ball match for India was back in 2018, during the tour of England. Since then, the Indian cricket team has experienced a captaincy shift and two changes in coaching staff. Hardik’s struggle with fitness has been a major factor in his absence from the Test arena, despite once being considered the next big thing in Indian cricket, following in the footsteps of former captain and all-rounder Kapil Dev.

Earlier this month, in a surprising move, Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as India’s T20I captain over Hardik Pandya, even though Hardik had served as Rohit Sharma’s deputy in the T20 World Cup just last month. The chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, explained that the decision was based on the need for a captain who would be more consistently available. This decision has sparked discussions and debates within the cricket community.

Former Team India cricket manager Lalchand Rajput, however, believes that now is the perfect time to gradually reintroduce Hardik Pandya into the Test fold. With India gearing up for a busy Test season in August, featuring 10 matches, including home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, and a challenging five-Test series in Australia, Rajput sees a valuable opportunity for Hardik. He suggests that Hardik's unique skills and potential can significantly bolster the Indian Test squad, provided he can maintain his fitness and form.

“I would love to see him in the red-ball cricket. He is a player who can change the course of the game in all three departments,” Rajput told Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview.

“If he could do well in red-ball cricket, that would add value to the team. He's an all-rounder who can come at no.6 and also bowl a couple of overs,” Rajput, who was the manager of the team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup, said.

Rajput also asserts that the appointment of Suryakumar Yadav as captain was made in the best interest of the team. Hardik Pandya faced a challenging stint as the captain of the Mumbai Indians in this year’s IPL, compounded by off-field issues, including boos from home crowd and social media backlash following Rohit Sharma’s removal as MI skipper.

Rajput suggests that by prioritizing the team's stability and success, the selectors aimed to create a more conducive environment for both players and fans alike.

"I think the selectors must have thought in the line with coach, too. The management wants Hardik Pandya to do well. If they release him from captaincy, he can play freely and give his best performance with bat and ball,” Rajput said.

“I heard the press conference of Ajit Agarkar, he said most of the time he was unfit. They need a captain who is fit to play all the games. That must have tilted the favour towards Suryakumar Yadav. SKY has also been a captain of the Mumbai Ranji team and started early in the T20 format. He will lead the team in the best possible way,” said the 60-year-old, who is currently the head coach at the Canada Global T20 team, Surrey Jaguars.

Rajput was at the helm when a surprise captaincy appointment took place in 2007, with MS Dhoni being named the skipper ahead of T20 World Cup. How does one ensure dressing room stays unaffected with such decisions?

"I won't say dressing room will be affected too much. Everyone knows that captaincy is always a board's call. The main thing is how quickly Suryakumar is able to gel and get the team to abide by his thoughts. That will take the team forward. The coach and the captain, they have to work together and drive the team forward,” said Rajput.

Likewise, Rajput also pointed out that the dressing room will have little choice but to adapt with Gautam Gambhir’s straightforward style of functioning. In Gambhir, India have a coach almost polar opposite to Rahul Dravid, who was calm and diplomatic in his demeanour. Gambhir has never feared to call spade a spade, and that is unlikely to change in his stint as India’s head coach.

"Every coach has got a different style of functioning. Rahul was quiet, but Gambhir is a very straightforward person; he's passionate and hates losing. He will inculcate that among the players. You saw that in the KKR team, they came from nowhere to win convincingly. Hopefully, he would inspire the Indian team in the same way,” Rajput, who represented India in two Tests and four ODIs, said.

Rajput at Global T20

The former India cricketer has returned to Surrey Jaguars after taking them to the final of the season last week, where the side faced an unexpected defeat. For the upcoming season, Rajput is confident the side can turn it around.

"Last year, it was a very close call in the final because everybody thought we would win the game. But that's T20s, the game shifts in one over. We saw that in the T20 World Cup final as well, between India and South Africa. Everyone thought South Africa would cruise to win, but India pulled it back. One bowler or batter can win the game. This year, we are focussing on that,” said the Jaguars head coach.

On the advent of the GT20 League, Rajput said, "Every year, it's going from strength to strength. Better players are coming, and this league is becoming popular too. Hopefully, like other leagues, this league will become better. International players want to play in this league, and it helps the local talent, too.”

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