After two months of rehab, Hardik Pandya has regained full fitness. The all-rounder had sustained a left quadriceps injury during the 2025 Asia Cup and had been sidelined since. Hardik had checked into the Centre of Excellence (CoE) on October 14 and will leave the facility in Bengaluru after spending 42 days there.
Hardik Pandya, fit again
According to the Times of India, the medical staff at the CoE has granted Hardik a Return to Play (RTP) clearance. The 32-year-old was initially expected to recover for the India vs South Africa ODI series, which commences tomorrow. But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to take caution.
With the 2026 T20 World Cup about two months away, the board decided to ease Hardik into competitive cricket. That’s why he stayed put at CoE, instead of playing 50-over matches against the Proteas. But now he’s expected to feature for Baroda in the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). Hardik will play under his older brother, Krunal Pandya, in Hyderabad.
Baroda has lost its first two matches, and Hardik won’t be taking part in the third game either. The all-rounder’s expected to play three fixtures. On December 2 against Punjab, December 4 against Gujarat and December 6 against Haryana.
However, since the India vs South Africa T20I series will commence on December 9 in Cuttack, Hardik might play just two matches before joining the Indian team. Given how important Hardik is, managing his workload will be of the highest priority. Risking his fitness by allowing him to play more than two domestic games might not be the right way to go about it.
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