Hardik to miss ODIs against Afghanistan due to niggle in his leg
New Delhi, June 10
In what comes as a huge blow to the Indian team, seam‑bowling all‑rounder Hardik Pandya likely to miss India's upcoming three‑match ODI series against Afghanistan after picking up a niggle in his leg.
Pandya, who missed a few games for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026 due to back spasms, was present at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru since June 2 and was believed to be on track for getting a fitness clearance for the ODI series against Afghanistan, starting on June 13 in Dharamshala and followed by games in Lucknow and Chennai.
He also did bowling at full tilt, apart from doing his batting and fielding drills seamlessly at CoE. But the late injury setback now leaves Pandya, who has 94 ODI caps, on the verge of missing the upcoming three-game series.
"Hardik Pandya was close to being fully cleared by CoE for the ODI series against Afghanistan. But it has now come to the light that he has picked up a slight niggle in his leg and will require a few weeks of recovery.
"This very late setback means he now remains short of achieving full fitness for the ODI series and will now focus on recovering from his latest injury at the CoE," sources to told IANS on Wednesday.
Pandya's absence leaves India without one of their most experienced seam‑bowling all‑rounder as they look to fine tune their combinations for the 2027 Men's ODI World Cup.
His ability to contribute with both bat and ball has been central to India's ODI plans, though Pandya hasn't played a 50-over game after the 2025 Champions Trophy triumph.
With the wait for Pandya playing an ODI game now set to be extended, it remains to be seen if he will achieve full fitness in time for the three-game series against England, to be played from July 14-19.
Previously, talismanic batter Virat Kohli was ruled out of the ODIs against Afghanistan due to a hamstring injury, with Yashasvi Jaiswal drafted as his replacement.
It remains to be seen if Shivam Dube, another seam-bowling all-rounder with four ODI appearances, is named as Pandya's replacement for the series. India already have another seam-bowling all-rounder in Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has played four ODIs so far.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Yashasvi Jaiswal replacement for Kohli? That's exciting! But Hardik's absence is concerning. We need someone like Shivam Dube to step up. His bowling has improved so much in IPL. Let's see if selectors give him a chance now.
It's always the same story with Indian cricketers and fitness. They play too much IPL and bilaterals, then break down before important series. Time to have hard conversations about rotation and giving younger players a real chance, not just as injury replacements.
As a Hardik fan, this is so disheartening 😔. He had that amazing Champions Trophy performance and now setbacks keep coming. But I hope the CoE staff help him recover fully. India vs England series will be crucial, so better to be 100% fit than rush back. Take your time, Hardik bhai!
Interesting that they mention the 2027 World Cup already. Planning ahead is good, but you need your horses on the track. Pandya's injury history is a real concern. Nitish Kumar Reddy showed promise in his few games - maybe it's time for him to step into that all-rounder role properly.
I'm not too worried honestly. Afghanistan series is a good chance to test bench strength. Let Dube or Reddy show what they've got. Better these niggles happen now than during a World Cup. Plus, Kohli being out means Jaiswal gets another opportunity - that boy is special! 🇮🇳
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