Hardik Pandya misses Mushtaq Ali as injury setback delays return ahead of T20 WC

Hardik Pandya's absence from competitive cricket will continue, with the all-rounder missing from Baroda's 15-member squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India's domestic T20 tournament.

Hardik Pandya's absence from competitive cricket will continue, with the all-rounder missing from Baroda's 15-member squad for the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India's domestic T20 tournament. His brother Krunal Pandya has been named captain of the side. Hardik last featured in competitive cricket on May 24 during an IPL 2026 fixture for Mumbai Indians.

The all-rounder was initially included in India A's one-day squad for the October series against Australia A but had to withdraw after suffering a fresh shin injury. According to ESPNcricinfo, Hardik was not completely pain-free while bowling at the time. Since the conclusion of the IPL, Hardik has spent considerable time at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, where he has been recovering from a series of fitness setbacks, including back spasms sustained during the IPL and a subsequent leg strain.

His last international appearance came in the T20I series against New Zealand at home, shortly before the start of IPL 2026. India, currently engaged in the ODI series against New Zealand, are scheduled to return to T20I action in December for a home series against Sri Lanka.

With the ODI World Cup in Africa scheduled for next year, India would be keen to have their premier T20 all-rounder back in the mix as early as possible. Hardik's return to action will be crucial as the team looks to build combinations and fine-tune its preparations ahead of the marquee tournament. The Baroda squad, led by Krunal Pandya, also features several prominent names, including Jitesh Sharma, Deepak Hooda and Rasikh Salam. They will begin their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign against Chandigarh in Mumbai on November 14. (ANI)