Following his absence from competitive cricket since late September, Hardik Pandya is set to make a comeback. At the 2025 Asia Cup, he had suffered a left quadriceps injury. The star all-rounder is expected to return following a 42-day recovery regimen. The Centre of Excellence (CoE) at BCCI just granted him the required permission.
Hardik Pandya will play in Baroda’s December 2 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matchup with Punjab. On December 4, he will also participate in the follow-up game versus Gujarat. However, his physical condition will determine whether or not he participates in the third game against Haryana on December 6.
Pragyan Ojha, a national selector, is anticipated to attend both games in order to evaluate Hardik Pandya level of fitness.
Before the five-match Twenty20 International series against South Africa, which begins on Tuesday, December 9, Indian supporters would be eager to see the Choryasi-born player back to his best form. In addition, Hardik bowled the final over during the thrilling India vs. South Africa T20 World Cup 2024 final in Bridgetown, Barbados.
In his 120 T20I appearances for the Men in Blue, Hardik Pandya has amassed 1860 runs at a strike rate of 141.02 and an average of 27.35. With 98 wickets at an average of 26.58 and an economy rate of 8.22 in 108 innings, he is also India’s third-highest wicket-taker in the shortest format.
Initially, it was anticipated that Hardik will be immediately draughted into India’s ODI team, which is playing a three-match series against South Africa. But after assessing his development, the medical staff recommended that he gradually adjust to the demands of the sport. Thus, it appeared like the 32-year-old’s best chance of rejoining the Indian team was to play T20 matches and return to local cricket.
On Sunday, November 30, Baroda won their first game of the season. They chased down a target of 143 runs in 17.1 overs and defeated Himachal Pradesh by five wickets. The Krunal Pandya-led team needed this victory because they had lost to Bengal and Puducherry back-to-back at the start of the season.
Now that Hardik Pandya is back, the team, which also includes Jitesh Sharma, the current Indian wicketkeeper in the T20 squad, will be stronger.
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