Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is fully fit and has been cleared by the Sports Science team of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Centre of Excellence to participate in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan starting on Sunday in Dharamsala.
The 32-year-old Pandya, who missed quite a few IPL matches for Mumbai Indians due to back spasms, has been at the CoE in Bengaluru since June 2.
“Hardik was on a holiday abroad before he checked in at the CoE on June 2. Over the next five days, he did several match simulations and even bowled (the full quota of) 10 overs,” a BCCI source told PTI.
“There has been no discomfort and the information is that his fitness data for various parameters has been okayed by Strength and Conditioning coaches at the CoE,” the source added.
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On Monday, India’s assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak had said that although he doesn’t have an update on Pandya’s fitness status, he believed the all-rounder was doing fine.
Pandya is an important cog in India’s white-ball setup given the balance he lends to the side with his pace bowling and lusty hits during the death overs.
The most relieving aspect is that Pandya is bowling 10 overs in training sessions, which means that he is ready for the rigours of 50-over cricket.
It is, however, not clear whether Pandya will join with the team in Chandigarh for a training session under lights or directly link up in Dharamsala, which was the original plan.
Meanwhile, former skipper Rohit Sharma is also at CoE to get an assessment of his hamstring niggle that kept him out of action for a number of matches for MI during the recent IPL.
Published on Jun 09, 2026
