The Indian team management remains concerned about star all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s repeated injury issues and is uncertain about his long-term fitness ahead of the ODI World Cup 2027. The senior cricketer was ruled out of the upcoming home ODI series against Afghanistan with a leg sprain, despite recently passing a fitness test.
Pandya had earlier suffered a back spasm during the IPL 2026 season while representing the Mumbai Indians. The captain missed a few matches towards the end of the tournament before returning for the final league game against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium.
He has also been rested from India’s upcoming T20I commitments, including tours of Ireland and England, along with the Asian Games 2026. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that the management is prioritising Pandya’s workload for ODI cricket, which is currently the main focus over the T20 format.
However, the latest injury concern has made the team management cautious, with discussions underway about preparing a backup seam-bowling all-rounder ahead of the World Cup.
“The team doesn’t want to get caught in a situation where they don’t have a seam-bowling all-rounder ready this close to the World Cup. There have been discussions where they wanted to prepare for life without Hardik,” a source told the Times of India.
In Hardik Pandya’s absence, Team India have turned to Nitish Kumar Reddy as their main all-round option in the ODI squad. However, the youngster still lacks significant experience in the format, having debuted during the 2025 Australia tour, which was interrupted by injury.
Reddy impressed during IPL 2026 with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, earning praise for his reworked bowling action and added pace. In his brief ODI career so far, he has scored 100 runs in four matches at an average of 33.33, though he is still searching for his first wicket after bowling 15 overs.
Hardik Pandya Yet to Return to ODI Cricket Since 2025 Champions Trophy Final
Hardik Pandya was part of Team India’s victorious Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, but following the tournament, he was used only in T20Is. He later missed the Australia tour after suffering a quadriceps injury during the closing stages of the Asia Cup 2025, an issue that also ruled him out of the final.
With the T20 World Cup 2026 as a key focus, the selectors opted not to include the all-rounder for the home ODI series against New Zealand and South Africa.
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