Hardik Pandya to undergo fitness test at NCA before Asia Cup

Hardik Pandya is reportedly set to undergo a routine fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Tuesday, August 11 and 12 ahead of Asia Cup 2025 which takes place on September 9.

Hardik Pandya will likely undergo a routine fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Tuesday

On Sunday, the 31-year old all rounder gave posted an update on his Instagram story, captioned, “A short trip to the NCA” to confirm his travel for the assessment. The result of this assessment will decide his participation in the high-profile tournament. Hardik has been training in Mumbai to ensure that he reaches peak fitness levels before the match.

The fact that Hardik is an all-rounder in white-ball formats means the results of this medical assessment are crucial not only for him to play, but for his team's performance and success.

Eight nations are participating in Asia Cup, namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka who automatically qualify and others include United Arab Emirates, Oman and Hong Kong. The first day will kick off with a match between Afganistan and Hong Kong at 1am IST. India's first match will be on September 10 against united Arab Emirates.

Recently, ex New Zealand all-rounder Craig McMillan remarked that the absence of a proper fast-bowling all-rounder in the Test team is causing a problem for India. He specifically said that an all-rounder with the calibre of Hardik Pandya is what India need in Test cricket at the moment.

"In Asian conditions, you need a spin-bowling allrounder like Jadeja, Washington or previously R Ashwin. In NZ, Australia and England, you need a fast-bowling allrounder. It is where India are missing a player like Hardik Pandya who can bowl medium pace and bat lower down the order," McMillan said in an interview.

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