Hardik Pandya to feature for Baroda in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy ahead of South Africa and New Zealand series

India's premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya will reportedly feature for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025 (SMAT) to prove his fitness before making an international comeback. The 32-year-old is currently on the road to recovery from a quadriceps injury that he got during the Asia Cup 2025 clash against Sri Lanka at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. 

Hardik Pandya to feature in SMAT

News agency PTI reported that Hardik will first prove his match fitness for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and the Mumbai Indians skipper would then play the T20I series against South Africa and New Zealand. After finishing the ODIs and Tests, South Africa will play five match T20I series against India which will start from December 9. 

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Hardik Pandya to miss ODI series vs South Africa

The report further stated that Hardik will not feature in the upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, which is scheduled to start from November 30, and the first clash will take place in Ranchi. Apart from Hardik, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will also likely to miss the ODI series against South Africa to manage workload. This is the second time that Bumrah didn't feature in the ODI series. Earlier, he missed the three-match ODI series against Australia, where the Shubman Gill-led side suffered a 2-1 defeat. 

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy schedule

The T20 domestic tournament is scheduled to start from November 26 and Baroda will take on Bengal in their opener clash. Hardik's last domestic outing came in 2024 during the same tournament where he played under his brother Krunal Pandya's captaincy.