Pandya suffers new injury; unlikely for Afghanistan ODIs

Hardik Pandya's return to ODI cricket has been further delayed, with the India all-rounder developing a fresh complication that will rule him out of the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, beginning in Dharamshala on June 13.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to confirm the quadriceps injury he sustained while undergoing rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for back spasms, but the Board is expected to announce a replacement soon. The three ODIs are scheduled for June 13, 17 and 20, and Pandya was originally due to fly from Bengaluru to Dharamshala on Thursday for the first match.

It has been learnt that Pandya informed the CoE medical team of some discomfort on Tuesday and was immediately referred to a local clinic in Bengaluru, where scans revealed a quadriceps strain that will require at least a couple of weeks to heal.

Pandya, it is learnt, will stay put in Bengaluru and complete his rehabilitation for the fresh injury as well. He is expected to be fit for the three ODIs in England, scheduled to be played on July 14, 16 and 19. The BCCI is yet to announce the squad for the series, although it is expected to do so in the next few days.

While announcing the squad for the Afghanistan ODIs, the BCCI had stated that Pandya and Rohit Sharma were conditional selections, subject to clearing fitness tests. Rohit, it is learnt, has cleared the fitness assessment, but Pandya's fresh injury has further delayed his return to international cricket.

Pandya, who has been in the news recently over his future with Mumbai Indians, whom he led in the just-concluded IPL season, has not played an ODI since March 2025 and last featured for India in their successful T20 World Cup campaign in March earlier this year.