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In preparation for the ODI World Cup next year, India are missing their swashbuckling fast-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya. Belonging to a rare breed of India’s genuine all-rounders, Hardik has been out of action since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. A series of issues have delayed his comeback, and he continues to be on the sidelines, leading to team management making stop-gap arrangements. India’s ODI captain Shubman Gill termed Hardik as 'extremely valuable' and wants him to return to the squad after proving match fitness via domestic cricket.
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“Firstly, I think he (Pandya) is a great player. The qualities he brings to the team are possessed by very few players in the world. Having a fast-bowling all-rounder who can bowl in every phase of the game, with the new ball, in the middle overs and at the death, along with the kind of batting he offers, is extremely valuable.
“It has been very unfortunate that he hasn’t been able to play since the IPL,” Gill said in the pre-match press conference.
In Hardik’s absence, India have banked on Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube and there were talks of giving Suryansh Shedge his maiden ODI call-up. But the selectors and team management have not found the right fit. In home conditions, they have relied on Naman Dhir as the all-rounder. It is yet to be seen how Dhir performs as an ODI all-rounder in away conditions.
Hardik was expected to make a comeback to competitive cricket via the One-Day series between India and Australia A. He could not get the fitness clearance at the Centre of Excellence (CoE), Bengaluru, and the comeback was delayed. Gill expects Hardik to take the domestic route to prove that he is match-ready.
“Yes, we have had multiple conversations. He was supposed to play the India A matches, but just before that, he had some niggles again. Hopefully, he will be fit soon, play some domestic cricket, and then we will see him back in the side,” Gill said.
Will Hardik take the domestic cricket route or remain on sidelines?
However, a report by TOI last month claimed that Hardik may be on the sidelines for a few more months. The report suggests that his comeback to competitive cricket will be in IPL 2027 directly. This means that Hardik will miss the home ODI series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
The three-ODI series against Sri Lanka goes on from December 13 to 19. Then the three-T20I series begins on December 22 and ends on December 27.
But Gill's comments seem to be hopeful. The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2026-27 begins on December 14. Baroda will go up against Vidarbha in their campaign opener. If Hardik regains fitness and takes the domestic route, he will have a few opportunities to play VHT matches before the Zimbabwe series. The ODI series against Zimbabwe will be played from January 3 to 9.
Given Hardik attains match fitness early, he can also ease back to competitive cricket via Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2026. SMAT action begins on November 14. Baroda will go up against Chandigarh. The league stage of SMAT will go on till November 26.
Earlier this year, head coach Gautam Gambhir had expressed that he does not want to take undercooked players to the World Cup irrespective of their impact. Gambhir said that Hardik hasn’t played any cricket since the IPL. He wants him to have enough game time under his belt as he does not want to leave anything to chance.
“Whether it's Hardik, whether it's Jasprit Bumrah, both of them are going to be extremely important for us in South Africa. Because the way if you talk about Jassi or if you talk about Hardik, very few teams have a player like that who can bowl 10 overs for you, plus bat at number six or seven, plus with that impact,”
“Especially for Hardik, because he needs game time as well. Because after the IPL he hasn't played a lot of cricket. So if the focus is only that he has to play the 50-over format, then he might be short of cricket.
“Game time going into the World Cup is going to be extremely, extremely important. You cannot go there half-cooked. So you should have enough game time, your rhythm should be so good, because going to the World Cup, there are no ifs and buts,” he explained.
Apart from Hardik, Bumrah is not part of the ODI series. Bumrah has been rested for the ODI series ahead of the two-Test series against New Zealand. He may play in the third and final unofficial four-day game against New Zealand A. Bumrah’s previous ODI appearance was on the England tour before he suffered a knee injury. Since then, he has played only in the Asian Games 2026, helping Shreyas Iyer-led India win the gold medal.
When was the last time Hardik played ODIs?
Like snubbed pacer Mohammed Shami, Hardik has not played an ODI since the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final against New Zealand.
Hardik's ODI record in New Zealand
Hardik has featured in just one ODI series on New Zealand soil, which was played in 2019. In the three-ODI series, he scored 61 runs from two innings at a strike rate of 145.23, with a high score of 45. The pacer took four wickets in the series at an average of 27.50. His economy rate in the series was 5.23 runs per over.
Which IPL jersey will Hardik don next season?
Meanwhile, Hardik’s IPL fate looks uncertain. There have been conflicting reports about whether he’ll stay at Mumbai Indians (MI), get released, or be traded to some other franchise. One thing that is certain is that he won’t captain MI anymore. Reportedly, several franchises have been interested in the all-rounder’s services, but none have materialised yet. The answer to all the confusion will be clear in two weeks. The deadline to announce the list of released and retained players is November 17. Then, the mini-auction will take place on December 16 in Goa.
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