Is Hardik Pandya Fit To Play Against South Africa In T20I Series? All-Rounders Return Date Revealed After 42 Days Rehab

India’s white-ball all-rounder Hardik Pandya is set to leave the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CeO) in Bengaluru today, November 9, after receiving his Return to Play (RTP) clearance. The 32-year-old is now set to rejoin competitive cricket with the Baroda squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Hyderabad. Fans and cricket enthusiasts are eagerly waiting to see if Pandya will be fully fit to feature in India’s upcoming T20I series against South Africa, as his performance and fitness will be closely monitored ahead of the high-stakes matches.

Why did Hardik Pandya go for 42-day rehab? 

Hardik reported to the CoE on October 14 for an evaluation of his left quadriceps injury and has been training intensely ever since to prepare for India’s upcoming white-ball fixtures. Apart from a brief pause around Diwali, he followed a strict rehab schedule, putting in 42 days of focused, specialist-supervised training sessions.

Hardik’s ODI Return Delayed by BCCI 

Hardik Pandya was set to return in time for the ODI series against South Africa beginning November 30, but the management decided it was safer to reintroduce him through the shorter T20 format instead. 

Hardik Pandya Eyes T20 World Cup 

Hardik Pandya has been out of action since the Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka in September and subsequently missed the entire Australia tour as well as the ODI series against South Africa. As a key figure in India’s white-ball lineup, the management is keen to have him fully prepared ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. 

His three upcoming T20 matches for Baroda will provide valuable match practice before he links up with the national squad for the South Africa T20I series.