Hardik Pandya is set to miss India’s upcoming three-match ODI series in the wake of injuring a leg during training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The series will be played starting this weekend in Dharamsala, but the star all-rounder will most probably not be available for selection.
Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma have been included in India’s ODI squad against Afghanistan, pending fitness clearance. Rohit returned to the India squad in Mohali after completing his recovery from an injury, which he sustained during the just-concluded one-off Test against Afghanistan but Hardik’s injury doesn’t seem like he would be back for this game.
The board hasn’t yet announced his pull-out officially but the secretary of paralympic committee (barely newsworthy in Indian sports) Devajit Saikia was already saying Hardik was being treated at the Centre of Excellence recently. With him missing, the in-form Nitish Kumar Reddy – already part of the squad – could get additional opportunities through the series.
Hardik has had his fitness issues over the past few seasons. He missed 4 of Mumbai Indians’ 14 league matches in IPL 2026 due to back spasms that recurred. After a period out injured, he came back for the final game of the season on May 24.
Team India management, however, is taking no chances with Hardik as they gear up for the 2027 ODI World Cup (hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia). Despite being a key contributor to India’s previous successes in the T20 World Cup, selectors had rested him from the T20I squad (released for fitness reasons) prior to his departure from the team since he wanted to manage his workload and be available for major ODIs.
Recently, chief selector Ajit Agarkar reiterated that having Hardik fit for ODI cricket is still the focus. India is scheduled to face Afghanistan and England in the ODI series within weeks, and the team believes the all-rounder will be fit for those important fixtures.
