In exciting news for Indian cricket fans, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is poised to make his highly anticipated comeback to international cricket during the upcoming white-ball series against South Africa. Pandya has been diligently recovering from a left quadriceps injury, which sidelined him during the T20 Asia Cup final against Pakistan last month.
Sources from the BCCI confirm that after a well-deserved break, Hardik reported to the esteemed Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on November 21st. He is expected to spend a month at the facility, where he has already commenced his gym sessions. The goal is for him to rejoin the squad and participate in the white-ball series against South Africa, scheduled for November-December.
The series will kick off with a three-match One Day International (ODI) series beginning November 30th in Ranchi, followed by a five-match T20 International (T20I) series commencing December 9th in Cuttack. His return will undoubtedly provide a significant boost to the team’s balance and firepower.
However, the news isn’t all positive on the injury front. Fellow ODI batsman Shreyas Iyer is expected to be out of action for approximately two months. Iyer sustained a ruptured spleen and rib cage injury during the third ODI against Australia, an unfortunate incident that rules him out of the upcoming home ODI series against South Africa.
His participation in the subsequent ODI series against New Zealand, which starts on January 11th, also remains uncertain. Iyer recently shared an update with his fans on X, stating, “I’m currently in the recovery process and getting better each passing day. I’m deeply grateful for all the kind wishes and support I’ve received — it truly means a lot. Thank you for keeping me in your thoughts.” A source close to the BCCI further added that he is recovering well and is expected to be discharged from the hospital in three days.