Hardik Pandya's time away from the cricket field has gone from bad to worse after a latest quadricep injury forced him to sit out of the ongoing One Day
International (ODI) series against Afghanistan. His setback has raised doubts about his involvement in the white-ball series away against England.
Following a week-long high-intensity training regimen and match simulations, Hardik suffered mild discomfort, delaying his return to the 50-over format. The all-rounder later suffered a leg strain at the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. According to the Times of India, the Mumbai Indians captain will train and follow the routine in accordance with the CoE team, with the 32-year-old expected to commence light jogging and running over the weekend, with net practice to follow suit.
Hardik's next assignment will be a three-match ODI series against England, as he has not been selected for the T20I series against Ireland and the Three Lions, and will also not travel to Japan for the 2026 Asian Games.
Will Hardik Pandya play the white-ball series against England?
With the 2027 Men's World Cup, the next big ICC event, India's focus will gradually shift towards building the team for the ODI format, in which Hardik is expected to play a major role following his contributions in India's title-winning 2026 T20 World Cup.
The right-handed all-rounder's importance in the side may force the BCCI not to rush their star player for the tour to England. With Hardik's full fitness still their priority, it is difficult to see him fly to the United Kingdom due to his current situation.
However, there is a possibility that Hardik is fit before the ODI squad leaves for the British shores ahead of the 50-over series, which commences on July 14, after India have played England in five T20I games. He could be named in the squad with a "subject to clearance" tag.
It is worth mentioning that Hardik is not the only player whose fitness is a concern ahead of the England tour. Virat Kohli's hamstring injury also forced him out of the Afghanistan series, raising doubts surrounding his involvement against Harry Brook's side.
