Not thinking about India comeback, my focus on IPL now: Hardik Pandya

Gujarat Titans, out-of-favour India all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Saturday said his national team comeback is not in his hands and he's just focused on doing well in the ongoing IPL. The premier all-rounder, who sat out against Chennai Super Kings because of a groin injury, was back with a 49-ball 67 -- his third fifty in a row -- to lead Gujarat Titans to an eight-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders. The Titans' third win on the trot consolidated their position on the top of the table.

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Andre Russell's pyrotechnics proved to be too little too late in the end as Gujarat Titans defended a small total to clinch a dramatic eight-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL thriller on Saturday.

"I don't think it's my (India) comeback anyway and secondly I don't focus on my comeback. I focus on the game which I play," Pandya said at the post-match media conference. The 28-year-old made his last appearance for India against Namibia in the T20 World Cup in Dubai in November last year and then struggled to manage his bowling workload post his back surgery only to return to action in the IPL. In the ongoing IPL, Pandya is sitting second in the run chart behind leader Jos Buttler with 295 runs from six innings at an average of 73.75. "At the moment, I am playing IPL and will focus on IPL, then will see where the future takes. It's never in my hands now. I focus on the team which I'm playing in. We are doing well and I'm very happy," he added.

Pandya said he's relishing every bit of his captaincy role for debutants Gujarat Titans. "Captaincy obviously helps. I'm always a cricketer who