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India National Cricket Team will be up against Afghanistan in a 3-match ODI series right after the one-off Test, which starts tomorrow. The Men in Blue side have already lost Virat Kohli for the ODI series as the former India captain picked up a hamstring injury during the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) final. Rohit Sharma is also doubtful for the series.
Amidst all this, there has been some good news coming from the camp as the team’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is close to regaining full fitness ahead of the ODI series against Afghanistan. The all-rounder is currently undergoing rehabilitation and could be available for selection. He has been a crucial member of the Indian side over the years across the white-ball format.
Hardik Pandya to play against Afghanistan
Hardik Pandya suffered a back spasm during the IPL and missed a few games for Mumbai Indians (MI). His name was included in the India squad, but his participation was subject to full fitness. The star all-rounder had a poor IPL season as captain and as a player as well in three seasons; his team, MI, have failed to qualify for the playoffs and finished 10th and 9th, respectively, in 2024 and 2026.
Hardik Pandya, though, had a decent T20 World Cup 2026 and played a crucial role for India’s back to back succes in the shorter format of the game. The MI captain will be back in the 50-over after more than a year; he last played in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final, which India defeated New Zealand by four wickets.
Hardik is doing rehab in Bengaluru
Hardik Pandya reported to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on June 2. He is currently doing his rehab and hopefully comes back fully fit as he provides a lot of balance to the side in terms of batting in the middle and lower middle order, and also, if he is fully fit, the 10 valuable overs are crucial in the middle phase of the game.
India have not found a back-up for the 32-year-old cricketer with the impact and quality he delivers in the side; no one has been able to deliver such moments in pressure situations. He can soak in the pressure and deliver match-winning performances over the years for the national side. The management have tried some other players during his absence but has failed.
Why India needs a fully fit Hardik Pandya?
India have not much ODI series lined up, after this 3-match series against Afghanistan, they will be travelling to England for a 3-match ODI series again. They will be working on Pandya’s workload management to keep him fresh for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia, where he will need to contribute both bat and ball.
The selectors will also assess Jasprit Bumrah's workload before the tour to Ireland and then England. The selectors want him fully healthy for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka in August. He may be given a break from T20Is, if not ODIs as well.
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