Indian All-rounder Hardik Pandya will start training at Bangalore's National Cricket Academy (NCA), under the supervision of Rahul Dravid from Tuesday. According to sources, his rehab program at the academy will last for 15 to 20 days. After that, he will be ready to play international cricket. At the moment, Pandya was practicing with the Indian team. Even before the Mumbai ODI against Australia, he was seen on the nets with Team India. After this, the team management advised him for rehab at NCA. Pandya is all set to return from the series against South Africa in March. On Saturday, there were reports of his failure in the fitness test in Mumbai. However, BCCI sources had said that he had not failed the test, but had decided to undergo rehab for a few more days.
Earlier, Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah had hired the services of trainer Rajinikanth Sivagnanam to recover from the injury. After this, when Bumrah went to NCA for the fitness test, the team led by Rahul Dravid refused to take his test. As the controversy escalated, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly made it clear that any player would have to go to NCA for rehab.
Meanwhile, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly met Rahul Dravid a day earlier. There was a discussion about the expansion of NCA as well as the rehabilitation of players. About the meeting, Ganguly said, "I met Dravid. We have designed a system. The injured bowler will have to go to NCA. If the injured players want to get help from any outsider, then they too have to come to NCA. We will make all kinds of arrangements. This will ensure that the players feel comfortable and do not find themselves alone. Soon the NCA's building on the new land will be ready and it will be a modern unit. Its work will be completed in 18 months. "
