Pandya, who was recently snubbed for India's T20I captaincy, plays for Baroda in India's domestic cricket tournaments. "There's still some individuals who don't play white-ball cricket. For example, in my last few years in Baroda, Hardik Pandya wouldn't ever play white-ball cricket. It always amuses me that he's termed as the all-rounder from Baroda but he hasn't played for Baroda for years! So, yes, there are some who don't do that," Whatmore said on Pakistan-based YouTube channel Pak Passion. "But recently, I've seen that the BCCI have been keen that players participate in the Ranji Trophy as well as other two formats to ensure they see cricket as sports. Efforts are made to make sure 4-day cricket is not neglected," added Whatmore who coached Baroda for two seasons, in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Most recently, Pandya has been asked to play in Vijay Hazare trophy (domestic 50-over tournament) to prove his fitness as an all-rounder. The direction came after Gautam Gambhir took over as India's new head coach following T20 World Cup 2024. Hardik was sensational for India in the T20 WC, scoring 144 runs and taking 11 wickets as Rohit Sharma-led team lifted the trophy last month. With Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announcing retirement post the World Cup glory, Hardik was in line to become the new T20I captain but was pipped by Suryakumar Yadav. India chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed later on that the all-rounder's fitness issues cost him the captaincy despite being more experienced than Surya. Hardik got injured during India's 2023 ODI World Cup campaign and did not play any competitive cricket till Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 as Mumbai Indians skipper. He then took part in the T20 World Cup and played a pivotal role.