In a major blow to Team India, Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan due to a leg injury. The all-rounder had initially received clearance from Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) after completing a week of drills and fitness assessments, but a late setback has now forced him to withdraw from the June fixtures. Sources within the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) confirmed that Hardik will remain at the CoE to continue his rehabilitation.
“Hardik had initially passed all the necessary tests and was given the clearance. But a late setback has ruled him out of the Afghanistan series. He suffered a quadriceps strain and has been advised for close to two weeks,” the source confirmed to Hindustan Times Digital.
“He will be staying at the CoE to continue with his recovery process,” he added.
It remains to be seen whether the team management and selection committee will name a replacement for the 32-year-old. His participation in the ODI series against England in July is also under the scanner.
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Some members of the Indian ODI squad are expected to link up with the side in Mohali on Wednesday and take part in an optional training session at the IS Bindra Stadium before departing for Dharamsala on Thursday. Rohit Sharma has been cleared to feature in the ODI series, while Virat Kohli has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Yashasvi Jaiswal has already been confirmed as the replacement for the former India captain.
Pandya, who recently led the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026 season, arrived at the CoE on June 2 to obtain clearance from the Sports Science Team. Earlier, he had suffered back spasms during the 19th edition of the tournament and, as a result, missed several matches for the five-time champions.
The all-rounder also made headlines for the wrong reasons after the Mumbai Indians finished at the bottom of the points table for the second time under his captaincy. There has been intense debate over whether the franchise will continue with Hardik as both captain and player.
Recently, Hardik was not named in the T20I squads for the series against Ireland and England, or for the Asian Games. Ajit Agarkar, chairman of the selection committee, stated that the priority is to keep the match winner fit for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“He is a part of the one-day squad right now in (the) Afghanistan (series). Like Bumrah, if we can get him playing well and keep him fit for one-day cricket — I don’t think he’s played one-day cricket for a while — that is, at this point, the main objective,” said Agarkar when asked about Hardik.
“We can always bring him back. It also gives us an opportunity to give someone like Nitish Reddy a few opportunities with T20 cricket. So, there will be a little bit of rest and rotation with regards to T20 (in Pandya’s case),” he added.
Hardik still integral to India’s 2027 World Cup plans
Agarkar also added that Pandya, whose last ODI appearance was in last year’s Champions Trophy, remains a key part in the ODI format. “But, the main objective is to see if he (Pandya) can start playing well and stay healthy with 50-over cricket with the World Cup in a year and a half, around that sort of time. It gives us a lot of balance,” Agarkar said.
“The World Cup is in South Africa, if he is bowling well enough. We’ll assess how we go in the next few months, that’s primarily the reason at this point.”