Hardik Pandya will be unavailable for competitive cricket for several months, according to sources, with the India all-rounder unlikely to play any matches before the IPL 2027 season. He is presently undergoing therapy at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he is being treated for a stress injury to the inside part of his shin.
According to NDTV Sports, which cited a story from Dainik Jagran, the medical staff overseeing Hardik Pandya recuperation has purposefully avoided putting a set date on his return to full match fitness, recognizing that the process cannot be rushed. The assessments emerging from the Center of Excellence hint to a long and carefully regulated path ahead for the all-rounder, who has suffered a series of physical setbacks over the last two to three years.
Hardik Pandya is allegedly still around three weeks away from starting mild jogging. Once that goal is met, his running program will be gradually increased over the next eight weeks, thereby ruling out any immediate return to competitive activity.
Which matches will Hardik Pandya miss while he recovers?
The duration of Hardik Pandya recovery has already cemented his absence from India’s next tour of New Zealand. Beyond that, the white-ball series against Sri Lanka, which begins on December 13, and the ODI against Zimbabwe, which begins on January 3, are both comfortably inside the recuperation window.
On the domestic front, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy are expected to be completed before Pandya is cleared to play. India’s five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia, which runs from January 21 to March 3, is also irrelevant to his status, as he no longer plays Test cricket.
When the entire timetable is considered, the calendar leaves only one plausible window for his return: the IPL 2027 season. The franchise he will represent at that moment is unknown, adding another element of uncertainty to his immediate future.
What’s the latest from India’s injury room at the Center of Excellence?
There is more good news from elsewhere at the Center of Excellence. Rishabh Pant is apparently about to begin modest skill-based training in the coming days, a significant step ahead in his own recovery program.
According to the same article, a definitive decision on Prashasti’s availability will not be made until a series of rigorous match simulations are finished. The overall situation at the Center of Excellence mirrors a significant phase of injury management in Indian cricket, with numerous famous players undergoing systematic rehabilitation at the same time.
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For Pandya, the primary goal remains a complete and long-lasting rehabilitation rather than a hurried return. The medical team’s cautious approach emphasizes the precautions being taken with the shin stress injury, and no shortcuts are being considered at this stage of his recovery.
Aman Gupta is a passionate cricket writer who covers match previews, player performances, cricket news, and tournament updates, bringing engaging insights and accurate information to cricket fans.
