Raina urges India to find reliable backup for Hardik Pandya

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has called for the national team to urgently develop a reliable backup for injury-prone all-rounder Hardik Pandya as preparations intensify for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Raina's comments, made in a recent interview, highlight a persistent concern over squad balance given Pandya's recurring fitness issues, which have ruled him out of the ongoing three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.

Raina emphasized that India's dependency on Pandya, its only genuine fast-bowling all-rounder, was exposed during the 2023 World Cup when his mid-tournament injury left the team without a sixth bowling option in the final. Pandya has not played an ODI since India's victory in the 2025 Champions Trophy and is also absent from upcoming T20I squads due to a leg strain sustained in training, following back spasms that affected his recent Indian Premier League season with the Mumbai Indians.

The former batter identified Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is part of the current ODI squad, as a promising candidate. Raina pointed to Reddy's solid batting, good pace and control with the ball in the IPL, and sustained fitness as key attributes. He stressed that any backup must be...