Hardik Pandya ruled out of Afghanistan ODIs with quadricep strain

Hardik Pandya suffered a fresh setback at the BCCI Centre of Excellence this week when a quadricep strain ruled him out of the upcoming ODIs against Afghanistan. After a week of high-intensity training and match simulation drills, the all-rounder was gearing up for a return to the format since 2025, but mild soreness/stiffness has extended that wait. Hours before he was scheduled to fly out of Bengaluru, the all-rounder felt discomfort in his quadricep and immediately alerted the medical team at the CoE. They promptly took him to a nearby facility for scans, which were later shared with Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala. The immediate diagnosis revealed a quadricep sprain requiring a recovery timeline of at least two weeks. TimesofIndia.com has learnt that the team management has already been informed of the current status and will decide on a replacement, if necessary, soon. As far as Pandya is concerned, he will continue to stay in Bengaluru and follow the routine put in place by the CoE team. He is likely to resume light jogging/running around the weekend and will hit the nets, at full intensity, in the coming week. The intensity will be sustained for at least a week before the CoE gives him the all-clear. India's next ODI assignment after the Afghanistan series is against England, in England, and it remains to be seen how the selectors address Pandya's situation. The 32-year-old could return to full fitness by the time the ODI specialists depart for England. Will the selectors include him "subject to fitness clearance"? A call is expected in the coming week when the selectors convene to pick the squad for the series starting July 14.

Not just Pandya, Virat Kohli's fitness will also be discussed as the star India batter has been ruled out of the Afghanistan series. Selectors will get an update from the medical team on his recovery timelines.

The early check-in

Pandya didn't check into the Bengaluru facility because the BCCI medical team had charted a long rehabilitation programme for him. He wanted to use the state-of-the-art facilities and receive proper training before joining the squad in Dharamsala on June 11. Since the Wankhede Stadium was hosting the T20 Mumbai League, Pandya opted for the CoE to complete his sessions with a battery of net bowlers and side-arm specialists. Spending more time at the CoE is likely to become a regular feature in his regime as proper data and video footage recording is done and he has top experts under one roof. Additionally, the quality of net sessions is much better than what he would get while training at different grounds in Mumbai.