MUMBAI: India’s dynamic white-ball all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, is on the verge of making his international return. After sustaining a left quadriceps injury during the T20 Asia Cup last month, which forced him to miss the final against Pakistan in Dubai, Pandya is expected to be back in action for the upcoming home white-ball series against South Africa in November-December.
Following a two-Test series, India and South Africa are scheduled for a three-match ODI series, kicking off on November 30 in Ranchi, and a subsequent five-match T20I series, beginning December 9 in Cuttack.
A source from the BCCI informed TOI, “After a holiday break, Hardik reported to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on November 21. He will be at the CoE for a month. He has started his gym sessions and should be back in action during the white-ball series against South Africa at some point.”
However, the news isn’t as positive for fellow ODI batter Shreyas Iyer. He is anticipated to be sidelined for approximately two months due to a ruptured spleen and rib cage injury sustained during the third ODI against Australia. This unfortunate injury rules him out of the home ODI series against South Africa. His participation in the ODI series against New Zealand, commencing January 11, remains uncertain.
Iyer shared an update on his recovery via X on Thursday morning: “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.” Another source confirmed his steady recovery, stating, “Yes, he is recovering very well from this serious injury and will be discharged from the hospital in three days.”