Hardik Pandya is the new enigma in Indian cricket. Arguably the finest seam bowling all-rounder of the nation since the legendary Kapil Dev, Hardik Pandya is currently in a unique stage of his career.
On Sunday, when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the team for the ODI series against England, there was no sign of Hardik Pandya. Why Pandya is not in the team, there is no word from the board, which has made the situation more delicate.
Hardik Pandya: A closed chapter in Indian cricket?
BCCI explained the exclusion of the all-rounder ahead of the ODI series against Afghanistan, but ahead of the tour to the United Kingdom, there is a deafening silence.
The silence has caused multiple questions around Hardik Pandya: Why is he not selected for the UK tour? What is his current fitness status? Did the board drop as part of workload management, or did they just simply drop the star, hinting at a possible move on? There are multiple questions that are unanswered.
According to the media reports, Pandya is still at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Pandya first went to the CoE because of a back spasm, which he got during the IPL 2026 season with the Mumbai Indians.
When will he return to action?
If the previous reports are to be believed, then the 32-year-old was on the verge of getting the required clearance for the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. But his momentum was suddenly dented due to a fresh injury. A quadriceps strain has delayed his return.
“Hardik experienced a minor/low-grade tenderness in the leg on June 9. He voluntarily got the leg scanned as a precautionary measure. The scans were sent to Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala in Mumbai, who advised him to have a 4-5 day rest followed by a three-week training programme to come back to full fitness. He started light training on June 16,” sources informed Cricbuzz.
Hardik Pandya is working hard to recover from the injury, and he could regain his fitness by the first week of July, ahead of the first ODI against England. There are multiple instances where the selectors named players are subjected to fitness tests.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, the successor of Pandya?
Virat Kohli, who has a hamstring injury, is named for the ODI series against England, subject to his fitness. The selectors could do the same for Hardik Pandya if they wished to do so as he is expected to regain full fitness by the first week of July, as per the Cricbuzz report. In Chennai, Team India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate was asked about Pandya. He mentioned Nitish Kumar Reddy, the emerging pace bowling all-rounder, similar to Pandya’s segment.
“When Hardik’s fit, he obviously brings a different element because he’s such a strong batter, such a strong finisher. It is difficult to find a finisher who can give you overs as well. So those guys are all tracking really nicely. As I said with Nitish (Reddy), for the last 18 months, he’s shown glimpses of how important he can be to this team, particularly in this format. I feel his body’s getting stronger and stronger, and I sort of feel he is the natural successor to Hardik,” the coach mentioned.
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Author: Staff Cricket Addictor
