Hardik Pandya has suffered another injury setback. He now has a shin injury and has been told to rest for 15 days. This means he will miss the upcoming 50-over matches against Australia A next month.
Hardik Pandya was named in the India A squad for the one-dayers. That series starts on October 6 in Puducherry. His selection depended on fitness clearance. The three games were meant to test whether he could bowl 10 overs in a match. That was important before India’s tour of New Zealand. India play five ODIs there starting November 4.
Sources say Hardik has not been pain-free while bowling. This further delays his return. He has not played since the end of May during the IPL. Since then, he has spent much of his time doing rehab at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He had back spasms during the IPL. Then he suffered a leg strain at the CoE before the ODI series against Afghanistan in June.
Hardik has not played an ODI since the Champions Trophy final in March last year. Fitness issues have kept him out. This is a concern ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup in October and November.
India will also play five T20Is in New Zealand. That series starts on October 22.
Gautam Gambhir Stresses Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah’s Importance for 2027 World Cup Plans
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has spoken about the importance of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah for the 2027 ODI World Cup. He said both players are extremely important for India, especially since the tournament will be held in southern Africa. Gambhir made these comments in an interview on JioHotstar.
Gambhir said very few teams have players like Hardik who can bowl ten overs and also score runs at number six or seven. But he also said Hardik needs game time. He has not played a lot of cricket since the IPL. If India want to play him in the 50-over format, he might be short of match practice.
Gambhir suggested Hardik could play some T20 cricket first and then move to one-day cricket. He said game time before the World Cup is extremely important. You cannot go to the World Cup half-cooked. Players need enough game time and good rhythm. There are no second chances at a World Cup.
Gambhir said the same applies to Jasprit Bumrah. The team needs to figure out how much one-day cricket he can play. Test cricket is also important. So managing workload and game time will be critical.
Gambhir also talked about his toughest decision as coach. He said dropping Sanju Samson for the T20I series against England was the hardest call. Samson was Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup. But he failed in two games against Ireland. Gambhir said he could not sleep that night. He told Samson that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was in great form and India needed to win the series. They needed someone to score runs at the top. Gambhir had an honest conversation with Samson. Samson took it well.
Since then, Samson has returned to the team. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was Player of the Series in India’s 3-0 win in Zimbabwe. But Samson has rejoined Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order.
Gambhir said it is tough on a young player like Sooryavanshi. But players who have done well for a long time sometimes mean others have to wait for their chance. He also said social media does not decide the playing XI. The coach and captain choose the best team to win the match. If Vaibhav plays, then someone like Abhishek or Sanju has to sit out. That is a tough conversation.
India A vs Australia A 2026: Full Schedule and Match Timings
The Australia A tour of India is taking place from September 22 to October 11, 2026. All matches are being played in Puducherry at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground. The tour includes two unofficial Tests and three unofficial ODIs.
The first unofficial Test was played on September 22. India A scored 334 and 199. Australia A replied with 171 and 200. India A won by 162 runs. The second unofficial Test starts on September 29 at 9:30 AM local time. That is 4:00 AM GMT.
The three unofficial ODIs are scheduled for October 6, October 9, and October 11. All matches start at 9:30 AM local time, which is 4:00 AM GMT.
FAQs
Q. What injury has Hardik Pandya suffered?
A. Hardik has suffered a shin injury.
Q. How long has Hardik been told to rest?
A. Hardik has been told to rest for 15 days.
Q. Why was Hardik selected for India A?
A. The matches were meant to test his ability to bowl 10 overs.
Q. When does India’s ODI series against New Zealand start?
A. The five-match ODI series starts on November 4.
Q. When does India A face Australia A in the first ODI?
A. The first unofficial ODI is on October 6.
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