Superstar batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli might have returned to India's ODI fold but team still awaits the return of key injured Hardik Pandya in the white-ball format. Pandya has been sidelined since sustaining a quadriceps injury that ruled him out ahead of the Asia Cup final against Pakistan.
Hardik Pandya's comeback timeline confirmed
The BCCI medical team has reportedly provided a probable date for Pandya's return, confirming the good news that the injury will not require surgery. He has already initiated his rehabilitation program at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. The 32-year-old checked into the CoE during the Diwali festivities and resumed training the following Wednesday, October 22. According to reports from TOI, Pandya is expected to end his four-week stay at the CoE and make his competitive return before the upcoming India vs South Africa white-ball series.
Meanwhile, the Indian team is proceeding with Nitish Kumar Reddy in Pandya's place for the ongoing Australia tour. Reddy had already replaced the seasoned all-rounder in the ODI playing XI and is also likely to feature in the T20I squad. In the first ODI loss at Perth, which marked Reddy's first taste of white-ball cricket on Australian soil, he played a small but aggressive cameo, scoring 19 runs late in the innings, including hitting a few sixes in the final over.
Pandya is reportedly determined to make his return to the field ahead of the white-ball series against South Africa. Following initial assessments, the Indian team's medical staff has also penciled in a similar date for the all-rounder's comeback.
Impact of Hardik Pandya's absence
The 32-year-old has been out of action since sustaining a quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup game against Sri Lanka. His ongoing absence is a major blow to the team, and he was unavailable for the current tour of Australia, which includes three ODIs and five T20Is. This sentiment was echoed by India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak who publicly highlighted just how significant a loss Hardik Pandya's absence is to the squad.
"Someone like Hardik is always a big loss. But if we look at the positive side, Nitish is getting some game time and we're trying to groom him. Every team needs an all-rounder, and we're trying to develop him in that role. So it's good preparation in that way. But yes, any team would miss a player like Hardik," Kotak said at the pre-match press conference ahead of the second ODI against Australia, which is scheduled to be played on October 23.