India all-rounder suffers fresh injury setback after recovering from back spasm.
Bengaluru
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan after sustaining a quadriceps strain during a fitness assessment at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Pandya had recently been undergoing rehabilitation for a back spasm injury that he suffered while representing the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026 season. He was at the Centre of Excellence to obtain fitness clearance for a return to international cricket and had reportedly been declared fit to play just hours before the fresh injury setback emerged.
According to sources, the quadriceps strain may have occurred while Pandya was bowling his full quota of 10 overs during the assessment process. The injury has now forced the star all-rounder out of contention for the ODI series against Afghanistan, which begins on June 13 in Dharamsala.
A BCCI source indicated that Pandya’s recovery is expected to take around three weeks, effectively ruling him out of the entire series. “With three weeks for recovery, there is absolutely no chance of him playing the ODI series as his rehabilitation will not be complete,” the source said.
The setback comes at a time when Pandya was preparing to make his comeback after missing several matches during the IPL season. Although he returned to action for Mumbai Indians’ final league-stage match against Rajasthan Royals on May 24, concerns over his fitness have continued to persist.
Pandya’s absence is a significant blow for India, given his role as a key all-rounder who contributes with both bat and ball. The team management will now have to look at alternative options to fill the void ahead of the ODI series.
The three-match ODI series against Afghanistan will be played in Dharamsala, Lucknow and Chennai on June 13, 17 and 20 respectively. India will be hoping that Pandya recovers fully in time for future international assignments later this year.
