India’s star all-rounder, Hardik Pandya has been given the green light by the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence to return to domestic cricket, setting him up to feature for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. His first appearances are expected to come against Punjab on December 2 and Gujarat on December 4, with the team keeping open the possibility of a third game depending on how he holds up physically.
Pandya has been away from competitive cricket since picking up a left quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup in September. The injury forced him to miss India’s assignments against Australia as well as the ODI series in South Africa. He reported to the CoE on October 14, where he spent more than six weeks undergoing a structured recovery programme overseen by the board’s medical and sports science staff.
During this rehabilitation phase, Pandya slowly increased his training intensity and eventually completed the CoE’s full Return-to-Play pathway, a process that concluded on November 30. The clearance confirms that he is fit to resume all aspects of his game, including his bowling workload.
The initial expectation was that Pandya might return directly for the South Africa ODIs beginning November 30. However, after reviewing his progress, the support staff recommended a gentler re-entry, allowing him to regain rhythm in domestic T20s before stepping back into international cricket. With India planning ahead for the T20 World Cup, both the selectors and the management have prioritised a gradual buildup over an immediate comeback in ODIs.
