Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has lost his place from the Test team owing to not bowling regularly. Since Pandya has been playing as a batsman after picking up a shoulder niggle, he was not considered in the recently announced Indian squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Southampton from June 18.

The BCCI recently announced a 20-man squad that will be leaving for England, where India will first play the WTC final followed by a five-match Test series against England which is scheduled to start from August 4.

When asked about not considering Hardik Pandya, a BCCI source made it clear the 27-year-old will be considered in the Test arena once he starts bowling at full tilt and is not required in the Test squad as a batsman.

BCCI announces Team India squad for WTC final; England Test series

“Hardik Pandya is still not in a position to bowl. The experiment of selectors to keep him during England Tests and prepare him with bowling workload has failed miserably. He will henceforth not be considered for Test cricket,” the BCCI source told PTI.

The squad includes the likes of KL Rahul and Wriddhiman Saha who are currently dealing with health issues and their selection is subject to fitness clearance. Rahul recently underwent a surgery after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis, Saha on the other hand has tested positive for COVID-19 during IPL 2021.

India's squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (WK), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (WK; subject to fitness clearance).

Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla

(With PTI inputs)