Hardik Pandya's Injury Setback Delays Comeback Ahead of Afghanistan T20Is
Hardik Pandya’s comeback trail has hit yet another bump.
The India all-rounder, who had been building steadily towards an international return at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, has picked up a late leg niggle that has thrown serious doubt over his participation in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan starting September 13 in New Delhi.
Momentum checked at CoE
By all accounts, Pandya was close. Very close.
TimesofIndia.com has learnt that he had been training at full intensity at the CoE, ticking off the fitness markers that matter for a seam-bowling all-rounder. The rhythm was back, the workload was up, and there were no visible signs of discomfort.
Then the leg flared up.
A source tracking his progress said Pandya has now been advised to stop bowling because of the discomfort in his leg. He is expected to resume, but not in time to meet the fitness threshold required for the Afghanistan T20Is. With the series barely days away, the timelines simply do not match.
Batting is not the issue. Nor is his movement in the field a major concern. The stumbling block is the bowling load, and the CoE is unwilling to clear him until they are completely convinced he can handle it without breaking down again.
Another comeback delayed
Pandya, 32, has not played any competitive cricket since May 24, when he last turned out for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. His previous appearance for India came even earlier, on March 8 in the T20 World Cup final.
Since then, his absence has stretched across multiple assignments. He missed the white-ball series at home against Afghanistan and then sat out the tours of Ireland and England. Each time, the expectation of a return has grown, and each time, the wait has extended.
This is not the first time a late setback has stalled his plans. Before the ODI series against Afghanistan, Pandya suffered a low-grade quadriceps strain after having already reached peak fitness and training intensity. That relapse forced him out, and the pattern has now repeated with this latest leg niggle.
For the selectors, who are scheduled to meet this week to finalise the squad for the Afghanistan T20Is, the timing is awkward. They will be briefed on the fitness of all players currently working at the CoE in Bengaluru, and Pandya’s name, once pencilled in, now sits under a cloud.
Others step into the frame
While Pandya’s return stalls, the all-rounder pool around him is beginning to stir.
Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are understood to be progressing well and are in contention for the Afghanistan series. Both offer balance with bat and ball, and both now stand to gain from the vacancy that Pandya’s likely absence will create.
Jasprit Bumrah’s situation is more finely poised. The fast bowler is rated touch-and-go for the three T20Is against Afghanistan, though his broader recovery remains on track for the Asian Games. His case, like Pandya’s, will test how much risk the selectors and medical staff are willing to take ahead of a packed calendar.
For Pandya, the story is simpler and harsher. Another niggle, another pause, another series slipping away. The question now is not just when he returns, but how long India can keep planning around a pillar who keeps being pulled from the foundation at the last moment.
