The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has provided a major update on Hardik Pandya’s return to competitive cricket. The star all-rounder has been named in India A’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against Australia A and could make his comeback on October 6, provided he receives the required fitness clearance.
Pandya has been away from Test cricket since 2018 and has established himself as one of the leading pace-bowling all-rounders in white-ball cricket. However, recurring injuries have continued to trouble the all-rounder and have also created concerns for India’s limited-overs plans.
Following the T20 World Cup, Hardik Pandya missed India’s tours of Ireland, England and Zimbabwe. He was also left out of the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Afghanistan, which begins on September 13.
Now, his inclusion in the India A squad offers a potential route back to competitive cricket.
Australia A’s tour of India will begin on September 22, with the first two games being multi-day fixtures. Pandya has not been included for those matches and is instead expected to feature in the three-match ODI series.
The first ODI is scheduled for October 6, followed by the second match on October 9 and the third on October 11. Pandya’s participation, however, remains subject to fitness clearance.
BCCI announced the 15-member India A squad on Wednesday. Ruturaj Gaikwad will captain the side in the ODI series, with Devdutt Padikkal named vice-captain. Padikkal will lead the team in the two multi-day matches.
Hardik Pandya’s return has been delayed by another fitness setback. He was reportedly close to receiving clearance from the Centre of Excellence, but suffered a fresh leg injury during training, forcing him to miss the Afghanistan series.
The latest squad selection indicates that the selectors are keeping the door open for his return. However, Pandya will still need to prove his fitness before being cleared to play against Australia A.
September 22-25: First multi-day match
September 29-October 2: Second multi-day match
October 6: First ODI
October 9: Second ODI
October 11: Third ODI
Priyansh Arya, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal (vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Rajat Patidar, Kumar Kushagra (wicketkeeper), Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Arshin Kulkarni, Arshad Khan, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya, Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper), Gurjapneet Singh and Yash Thakur.
