In what will come as good news for the Indian men’s cricket team, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya will play for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before the three-match ODI series against South Africa,
as he awaits a comeback to international cricket after sustaining an injury recently, according to a report in The Times of India.
Pandya is nearing full match fitness at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and, if progress continues as planned, might be available for the tournament’s opening match.
According to the report, even in the worst-case situation, Pandya should be back in the park by the side’s second game.
The domestic T20 tournament starts on November 26, with Baroda scheduled to play their games in Hyderabad.
According to the report, there will be no break for Pandya and he will straightaway head to Hyderabad after getting clearance from the Centre of Excellence.
India’s three-match ODI series against South Africa starts on Sunday, November 30 and Pandya is expected to play at least one competitive game before returning to national duty.
Pandya has been training hard in Bengaluru over the past few weeks and is nearing full match fitness after suffering a left quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup clash against Sri Lanka.
The injury sidelined Pandya for the final against arch-rivals Pakistan and he has been out of competitive cricket ever since.
Pandya scored 48 runs in four matches at the Asia Cup at a dismal average of 16 and picked just four wickets in six games at an economy of 8.57.
Pandya sat out the ODI and T20I series in Australia but is on course to return for the upcoming white-ball games against South Africa.
India will play the three ODIs in Ranchi, Raipur and Visakhapatnam on November 30, December 3 and December 6. The action will then move to the five-match T20I series, beginning December 9 in Cuttack.
