Hardik Pandya trains solo at Barabati stadium ahead of IND vs SA 1st T20I

India's premier all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been declared fully fit and has arrived in Cuttack ahead of the first T20I against South Africa on December 9. Pandya had been sidelined since picking up a quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka on September 26.

Hardik Pandya declared fit ahead of South Africa series

To prove his match readiness, the 32-year-old recently participated in two matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, notably scoring 77 for Baroda against Punjab.

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Pandya chooses individual session, sends down 20-minute spell in Cuttack

Pandya demonstrated his commitment by reaching Cuttack on Saturday, ahead of the main Indian team's arrival in batches from Vizag. As per a report in Argus, he was also seen training alone at the Barabati Stadium.

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The Indian squad is scheduled to hold their final practice session in Cuttack on December 8, while the visiting South African team is set to train in the evening. After suffering a 1-2 defeat in the preceding ODI series, and an earlier 0-2 whitewash in the Test matches, the Proteas will be eager to make a strong comeback in the five-match T20I series. Pandya's fitness will be crucial as India aims to dominate the shortest format.

The Barabati Stadium will debut a red-soil pitch prepared according to international standards for the first time. To assist players in adapting to this new surface, additional practice strips located near the clock tower have also been constructed using the same red soil. Meanwhile, both the Indian and South African squads, with the visitors arriving in batches, are being housed under tight security at the Mayfair Hotel.

India's squad for SA T20Is:

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain)*, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wicket-keeper), Sanju Samson (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar.