Hardik Pandya to join team in NZ, KL Rahul part of India A squad

Hardik Pandya has been included in the Indian team touring New Zealand, while K. L. Rahul will join the India A squad.

K. L. Rahul and Hardik Pandya have had their suspensions lifted by the CoA.

The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) announced late on Thursday night that Hardik Pandya will travel to New Zealand to join the Indian team for the ongoing limited-overs series. This comes after the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) lifted the suspensions on Pandya and Rahul over their remarks in a television show.

K. L. Rahul, on the other hand, will join the India A squad that is playing five one-day games against England Lions in Thiruvananthapuram. Rahul could also feature in the Ranji Trophy final if Karnataka makes the cut.

Earlier, the selectors had picked Vijay Shankar and Shubman Gill as replacements for Pandya and Rahul.

BCCI’s acting president, C. K. Khanna, who had requested that the ban be lifted is happy with the CoA’s decision. “I am extremely happy with the decision. So many days have passed and the actions have already been taken against the two and I think the punishment which they have received is already sufficient,” Khanna told  Sportstar .