Hardik Pandya's Comeback Hits Another Snag Ahead of Afghanistan T20Is

Hardik Pandya’s international comeback has hit yet another snag, this time just as the door seemed to be opening.

The India all-rounder, working his way back at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, has developed a late leg niggle that has forced him to stop bowling and left his participation in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in serious doubt.

Comeback stalled again

Those tracking his progress say Pandya had been operating at “full intensity” without discomfort, ticking off the workload markers the medical and coaching staff wanted to see. The rhythm was back, the effort was there, and the reports were positive.

Then the leg flared up.

He has now been advised to pause bowling, a precaution that all but rules him out of the Afghanistan T20Is starting September 13 in New Delhi. Batting and general movement have not raised major alarms, but the CoE wants complete assurance before signing off on a full return. With the series so close, there simply is not enough time for him to reach the required all-round fitness levels.

For a player whose value rests on being a genuine three-dimensional option, half-fit is not an option.

Long layoff, familiar frustration

Pandya, 32, has not played any competitive cricket since May 24, when he last turned out for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. His most recent appearance for India came even earlier, on March 8 in the T20 World Cup final.

Since that night, he has missed the white-ball home series against Afghanistan and the subsequent tours of Ireland and England. Each time, the hope of a return has been nudged further down the calendar.

This is not the first time a late setback has undone weeks of solid work. Before the ODI series against Afghanistan, Pandya suffered a low-grade quadriceps sprain, again after reaching what was described as peak fitness in training. That relapse pushed his comeback back then; the new leg issue threatens to do the same now.

The selectors are expected to meet this week to pick the squad for the Afghanistan T20Is and will be briefed on the latest medical updates from Bengaluru. Pandya’s name, once automatic in any white-ball conversation, now comes with an asterisk.

Others step forward

While Pandya battles time and his body, others are edging closer.

All-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are understood to be progressing well and are in the frame for the Afghanistan series, offering the selectors alternate balance options if Pandya is deemed unavailable.

Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, remains “touch-and-go” for the three T20Is. The fast bowler is, however, still viewed as on track for the Asian Games, a key marker in his own carefully managed workload.

India’s planning for the next phase of T20 cricket has long been built around a fully firing Hardik Pandya. The latest twist in his stop-start return leaves a familiar question hanging: how long can they keep waiting for their premier all-rounder to be truly, unquestionably ready?