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Hardik Pandya. Image Credits: AFP
India officially unveiled the squads for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England. However, all-rounder Hardik Pandya was surprisingly missing, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar issued a clarification.
Hardik led the Mumbai Indians during the IPL 2026, but he missed a couple of games in the second half due to a recurring back injury.
Hence, rumours began to surface that he was yet to regain full fitness ahead of important international tours.
Hardik Pandya rested from T20Is
Interestingly, when India unveiled the squads for the Ireland and England T20Is, Hardik Pandya was mysteriously dropped. However, to put a rest to rumours, chief selector Ajit Agarkar clarified that Hardik was rested.
With the ODI World Cup being 18 months away, the BCCI wants to manage the workload of the all-rounder, and hence, for now, he will only feature in the ODI series against Afghanistan and stay away from the T20I series and the Asian Games 2026.
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According to earlier reports, Hardik Pandya underwent a fitness assessment at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He has reportedly been declared fit, but Agarkar suggested that a final Test is yet to be conducted.
Regardless, Pandya is still in line to play the ODI series against Afghanistan and kickstart his preparations for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Will Hardik Pandya bowl?
That being said, the recurring back injury has massively derailed Hardik Pandya’s capacity to contribute as an all-rounder. He has barely bowled since 2024.
Hence, since the BCCI sees Pandya as a key asset for the 2027 ODI World Cup, they must ensure the all-rounder is fit enough to bowl 10 overs. And to fix that issue, workload management seems like the best option momentarily.
As Ajit Agarkar also clarified, the management will keep an eye on how Hardik Pandya is bowling, and according to that, they’ll tweak their plans. Overall, the all-rounder is expected to bowl a few overs in the ODI series against Afghanistan but may not bowl his full quota of 10 overs.
India replace Suryakumar Yadav as T20I captain
In a major talking point, India sacked Suryakumar Yadav as India T20I captain and also dropped him from the squad just months after he led the team to the T20 World Cup 2026 title.
Shreyas Iyer has replaced him as captain and will lead the team in the next two-year cycle, with Tilak Varma being his deputy as vice-captain. Apart from Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the Ireland and England series as well.
Players like Rinku Singh and Kuldeep Yadav have been dropped, while 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi received his maiden call-up after a historic IPL 2026 season where he won the Orange Cap.
Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Test Debut On The Cards? BCCI Sends Shockwaves
