Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya is in race against time to get fully fit as BCCI has made it clear to the all-rounder that only after clearing the fitness tests held under the supervision of the NCA medical staff will he be allowed to participate in the IPL. The out of favour all-rounder is mandated to get a green signal from the NCA to take part in the mega event which begins on March 26. The 28-year-old is not a part of the Test squad anymore and is not even a regular feature in India’s white-ball set-up, with his last international appearance coming during the T20 World Cup last year. According to a report by news agency PTI, BCCI will not allow Hardik Pandya to play in IPL 2022 until or unless he clears

his fitness test. The Gujarat Titans captain has already reported at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru where he  will undergo fitness tests for the next couple of days before he gets an all-clear to lead team in the upcoming Indian Premier League. “Hardik will be at the NCA for next two days and appear in the various fitness tests. He is a centrally contracted cricketer and has not played any cricket since T20 World Cup in UAE,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. “He would need to pass the fitness test as it has been mandatory for some time now. Last year, even Shreyas Iyer appeared for a fitness test post shoulder surgery before playing IPL,” he added. Given the uncertainty over his fitness, the fast-bowling all-rounder was dropped from Grade A to Grade C, which in monetary terms means he will be earning Rs 4 crore less now. Hardik has not spilled the beans on whether he would be bowling in the IPL or would be playing a specialist batter. Speaking at Gujarat Titans’ jersey launch event in Ahmedabad, he gave a rather silly answer saying that his bowling would be a “surprise.