Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has reportedly suffered another setback in his recovery from the injury that forced him to miss the tour of England. The Mumbai Indians (MI) star has not played any competitive cricket since the conclusion of the IPL 2026 season. Hardik has endured a frustrating run with injuries in recent months.
He initially picked up a knock towards the latter stages of IPL 2026 and later suffered another setback during rehabilitation. Although he had cleared his fitness tests and was expected to return for the ODI series against Afghanistan in June, a fresh injury just before the opening match ruled him out once again.
Since then, the 32-year-old has been undergoing rehabilitation under a newly introduced ‘performance block’ programme at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, with a strong focus on preparing him for 50-over cricket.
As a result, he was unavailable for India’s tours of Ireland and England, as well as the 2026 Asian Games, all of which were centred around the T20 format. Hardik Pandya has reportedly recovered from the latest setback, but his fitness and workload management will continue to be closely monitored as India builds towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“Given his injury record, bilateral white-ball series is not a priority for him at the moment. Also, for the next one year, in the lead-up to the World Cup, he would be used mostly in the 50-over format.”
“Hardik’s recovery had a few hiccups, but it’s absolutely fine now. He has been working on a specific programme and everyone is pretty confident about having him in the top shape at the World Cup,” a source told RevSportz.
India sorely missed Hardik Pandya during the ODI series against England, with captain Shubman Gill struggling to find the right team balance in the absence of a genuine pace-bowling all-rounder. The situation was further complicated after Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana were also ruled out through injuries, leaving India’s playing XI short of depth and flexibility.
Hardik Pandya Hasn’t Featured in an ODI Since 2025 Champions Trophy Final
Hardik Pandya played a key role as India’s second seamer during their triumphant Champions Trophy 2025 campaign, where the spinners carried much of the workload. However, the all-rounder has not featured in an ODI since the final.
India have played 15 ODIs across five bilateral series since then, but the 32-year-old has missed every match for different reasons. He was unavailable for the Australia tour after suffering an injury towards the end of the 2025 Asia Cup.
Later, he was rested for the home ODI series against New Zealand as the team prioritised his workload ahead of the T20I series and the 2026 T20 World Cup.
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