BCCI Breaks Silence On Hardik Pandya's Replacement

Hardik Pandya last played for India in 2026 T20 World. PC- AFP

After dismantling Afghanistan in the one-off Test match, Team India will begin the three-match ODI series on Saturday (June 13) at Dharamsala. Even before the start of the IND vs AFG ODIs, the Men in Blue have already lost two of their key players, Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli.

Kohli will miss the series due to a hamstring injury, and the BCCI named Yashasvi Jaiswal as his replacement.

However, the prolific all-rounder had worked on his fitness after the IPL 2026, obtaining clearance from the CoE by bowling a full quota in front of the BCCI medical team.

But as luck would have it, Pandya suffered a quadricep sprain, which would keep him out for at least two weeks to fully recover.

Devajit Saikia drops bombshell after Hardik Pandya's injury

Although the BCCI didn't rule Hardik Pandya out of the IND vs AFG via a press release, the board honorary secretary Devajit Saikia has official broke the news.

Also Read: What Is Quadricep Strain Suffered By Hardik Pandya? How Much Time Will He Take To Recover?

He also revealed that the BCCI are still not sure whether they will name a replacement for Pandya or continue with a 14-member squad.

"Yes, Hardik (Pandya) has been ruled out of the ODI series against Afghanistan due to an injury. We will soon take a call on replacement or continue with 14."

The IND vs AFG series was supposed to be Pandya's comeback in ODIs, after featuring in the format in the Champion Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand. However, it won’t happen now.

Pandya’s fitness will be crucial for India, considering what he brings to the table in the white-ball formats. He would be a mainstay of the Men in Blue’s blueprints for the 2027 World Cup, scheduled to be held on the South African continent.

BCCI grooming Nitish Kumar Reddy as Hardik Pandya's backup

It is worth noting that the national selectors are grooming Nitish Kumar Reddy as Hardik Pandya's back-up, and he is already in the squad for the Afghanistan ODIs.

The 23-year-old Reddy has been around the Indian set-up since late 2024. During the BGT 2024/25, the all-rounder notched his maiden century in the MCG Test.

As the selectors have rested Pandya from the T20I squads for the tour of the United Kingdom and the Asian Games 2026, the Telangana-based all-rounder has been picked in all the squads for the three series.

Raj Angad Bawa, Madhav Tiwari and Suryansh Shedge can also be considered viable options.

India Squad for Afghanistan ODIs

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer (VC), KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna.

IND vs AFG Schedule

The three-match ODI series between India and Afghanistan will begin on Saturday at Dharamsala's HPCA Stadium, which is more suited to seam bowlers.

The caravan will move to Lucknow for the second ODI on June 17, which will be more favourable to Afghanistan's bowlers. Then, the teams will travel to the south of India for the third and final game in Chennai on June 20, which would be more favourable for the tourists.