Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Hardik Pandya's prospects of becoming India's captain would be strengthened if he consistently plays first-class cricket. Pandya is a key player for India in limited-overs formats and was long considered a strong candidate to take over as captain, particularly in T20 cricket. However, after Rohit Sharma's retirement after the 2024 T20 World Cup, the scenario changed. Suryakumar Yadav was appointed as captain, sidelining Hardik even from vice captaincy. In the ongoing five-match series against England, Axar Patel has been named the vice captain, and Shubhman Gill has been handed over the role in the ODIs. Speaking about Hardik's future in captaincy, "The dynamics of Indian cricket can change with new management in the BCCI or the selection committee. Everyone has a unique approach. For Pandya, the key will be to show his willingness to play consistently. He hardly plays first-class cricket, but if he starts doing so, it will strengthen his case." Read also: Ponting Backs Khawaja, Supports Konstas as Openers in Sri Lanka Injury changed Hardik Pandya's track Hardik Pandya's most recent Test appearance was during the fourth Test against England in Southampton in August-September 2018. In the 11 Tests he has played so far, Pandya has accumulated 532 runs at an average of 31.29, which includes one century and five half-centuries. He has also claimed 11 wickets at an average of 31.05. His last first-class outing was for Baroda against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in December 2018, where he took five wickets in the first innings and two more in the second, while scoring 73 runs in Baroda's only innings. The match ended in a draw. However, Hardik Pandya denied continuing with the first-class cricket, as his body won't be able to cope with the demands of the game. His entire career took a different turn after he suffered from a major lower back injury during the 2018 Asia Cup. Since then, he has stayed out of competitive cricket for a long time. Even when he came back, he wasn't bowling much. Since 2023, Hardik Pandya has reestablished himself as a key all-rounder for India, but in limited-overs cricket. Even though he had to miss the remainder of the 2023 ODI World Cup due to injury, he played a pivotal role in their victory at the 2024 T20 World Cup.