Veteran Team India all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who is recovering from injury, will make his comeback to competitive cricket later this month. Pandya could become the second high-profile player after Rohit Sharma to follow the BCCI directive requiring top cricketers to participate in domestic tournaments.
The all-rounder has not played since the 2025 Asia Cup, where he injured his left quadriceps in a match against Sri Lanka. The injury ruled him out of the final against Pakistan and the white-ball series against Australia. The hosts claimed the ODI series, while the Suryakumar Yadav-led side clinched the T20I series.
Hardik Pandya returns to competitive cricket in a domestic tournament
Hardik Pandya is about to complete his rehabilitation at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru. According to a Times of India report, he could return to competitive cricket in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“India’s leading all-rounder Hardik Pandya will return to competitive cricket later this month with his state side Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” the report said.
Baroda is expected to include him in the squad for the T20 tournament. The 32-year-old could feature in Baroda’s opening match in Hyderabad on November 26, or at the latest in their second match of the tournament.
Rohit Sharma has reportedly shown interest in representing Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, the Mumbai Cricket Association has not yet received any formal confirmation. On the other hand, Virat Kohli has not shared any plans to play domestic cricket at this stage.
Hardik Pandya is likely to get match time before returning to the Indian squad
Hardik Pandya has been doing intensive rehabilitation work at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru. Once he receives his Return to Play (RTP) clearance, he is expected to travel straight to Hyderabad to join the Baroda team, with no break in between.
The selectors want him to get some game time in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before India start their ODI series against South Africa. Pandya has to play at least one domestic match before returning to the national setup.
“There will be no break for Pandya and he will participate straight into the match after receiving Return to Play (RTP) from the CoE without any break. Pandya could well play at least one league match before donning the Indian jersey after a two-month layoff,” the report said.
Hardik Pandya has not taken part in competitive cricket since the 2025 Asia Cup
Hardik Pandya has not featured in competitive cricket since the 2025 Asia Cup where he scored just 48 runs and took four wickets. He missed both the ODI and T20I series in Australia but is now on course to return for the white-ball series against South Africa.
In T20Is in 2025, he has scored 160 runs at a strike rate of over 130 and taken nine wickets at a decent economical rate. His comeback will be a key part of India’s run to the 2026 T20 World Cup.
India will play a three-match ODI series against the Proteas. The matches are scheduled for November 30 (Ranchi), December 3 (Raipur) and December 6 (Visakhapatnam), followed by a five-match T20I series starting on December 9 in Cuttack.
Also read: Mumbai Indians aggressively hunt 2 former players; KKR-SRH notified
#Hardik #Pandya #set #return #domestic #cricket #ahead #South #Africa #series