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Hardik Pandya in Asia Cup 2025 (Source: AFP)
In a remarkable development, Hardik Pandya has regained full fitness after completing 42 days of rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. The star all-rounder had suffered a left quadriceps injury during the 2025 Asia Cup and had been out of action for the past two months.
Hardik checked into the CoE on October 14 and is now ready to return to competitive cricket. According to the Times of India report, the medical team at the facility has officially granted him Return-to-Play (RTP) clearance.
BCCI takes cautious path for Hardik Pandya
It is important to mention that Hardik was initially expected to be available for the India vs South Africa ODI series. But the BCCI has preferred slow return for the star player. With the 2026 T20 World Cup just two months away, the board does not want to rush him into cricket.
According to the latest report by TOI, Hardik is set to represent Baroda in the 2025–26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT).
Talking about Baroda, they have lost their first two games in the tournament. The all-rounder is expected to participate in three fixtures for Baroda, which are on December 2 against Punjab, on December 4 vs Gujarat and lastly on December 6 against Haryana.
However, with the India-South Africa T20I series set to begin on December 9 in Cuttack, Hardik may play only the first two matches before joining the 'Men in Blue'.
The fact that cannot be denied is that Hardik Pandya has been a crucial player for Team India in the shortest format of the game. In the T20Is, Hardik has played 120 matches and made 1860 runs at an average of 27.35 and a strike-rate of 141.01.
With all eyes on the T20 World Cup, it is likely expected that the BCCI will manage his workload carefully.
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