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The Indian national cricket team will take on Afghanistan in a 3-match ODI series right after the one-off Test starting tomorrow. The Men in Blue have already lost Virat Kohli for the ODI series as the former India captain suffered a hamstring injury during the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) final. Rohit Sharma is also doubtful to play in the series.
Amidst all this, a good news has come from the camp as the team’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is close to regaining full fitness before the ODI series against Afghanistan. The all-rounder is currently undergoing rehabilitation and may be available for selection. He has been an important member of the Indian team in white-ball formats for the last several years.
Hardik Pandya will play against Afghanistan
Hardik Pandya suffered back spasms during the IPL and could not play a few matches for Mumbai Indians (MI). He was named in India’s squad, but his participation was dependent on full fitness. The star all-rounder had bad IPL seasons as captain and also as a player in three seasons; His team, MI, failed to qualify for the playoffs and finished 10th and 9th in 2024 and 2026 respectively.
However, Hardik Pandya performed well in the T20 World Cup 2026 and played a key role in India’s consecutive successes in the shorter format of the game. MI captain to return to 50-overs after more than a year; He last played the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, in which India defeated New Zealand by four wickets.
Hardik is rehabbing in Bengaluru
Hardik Pandya reported to the BCCI Center of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru on June 2. He is currently undergoing his rehabilitation and is expected to come back fully fit as he provides a lot of balance to the team in terms of batting in the middle and lower middle order, and also, if he is fully fit, 10 valuable overs are crucial in the middle stage of the game.
India have not found any back-up for the 32-year-old cricketer given the impact and quality he provides to the team; No one is capable of delivering such moments in a pressure situation. He can handle pressure and deliver match-winning performances for the national team over the years. During his absence the management tried some other players but were unsuccessful.
Why does India need a fully fit Hardik Pandya?
India does not have much ODI series, after this 3-match series against Afghanistan, they will again go to England for a 3-match ODI series. They will work 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 have to contribute with both bat and ball.
The selectors will also assess Jasprit Bumrah’s workload before the tour of Ireland and then England. The selectors want him to be completely healthy for the two-Test series to be held in Sri Lanka in August. If not ODI, he may be given a break from T-20 also.
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