New Delhi, September 2026 : India head coach Gautam Gambhir has said star seam-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya is not yet fit to bowl his full quota of 10 overs in One-Day Internationals and will not be rushed back into international cricket.
Pandya has been out of competitive cricket since the Indian Premier League 2026 after suffering a back injury while leading Mumbai Indians. Subsequent fitness concerns, including a quadriceps injury and a leg niggle, kept him out of India's white-ball assignments against Afghanistan, Ireland, England and Zimbabwe.
The all-rounder's absence was also felt during India's 3-0 T20I series victory over Afghanistan and has continued into the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies. However, Pandya has been named in the India A squad for the 50-over series against Australia A.
His participation in the Australia A series remains subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. Gambhir indicated that the series could provide Pandya with an opportunity to regain match fitness before returning to the senior international side.
“Hardik at the moment, yes, he cannot bowl 10 overs and he hasn't played a lot of cricket since the IPL. So we don't want to push him into international cricket because international cricket can be extremely tough on your body as well,” Gambhir said at the post-match press conference after India completed a 3-0 T20I series sweep over Afghanistan with a 127-run victory at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Gambhir said Pandya could use the India A assignment to get valuable game time and gradually work his way back into international cricket.
“If he plays that India A series, obviously he'll get some game time as well and that was the clear message to him that if he can play that A series and then if everything goes well, he can come back and be part of the T20s and the one-day squad as well,” he said.
With Pandya still unavailable, India withdrew another seam-bowling all-rounder, Nitish Kumar Reddy, from the Asian Games in Japan and included him in the white-ball squad for the West Indies series.
The three-match ODI series against the West Indies is scheduled to begin in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27.
Gambhir said Reddy's withdrawal from the Asian Games could benefit the young all-rounder by giving him more opportunities to play international cricket.
“From Nitish's point of view, it's actually a great thing that he's been withdrawn from a T20 format and he'll get game time against the West Indies as well,” Gambhir said.
He stressed the importance of developing seam-bowling all-rounders ahead of India's future assignments, particularly with the 50-over World Cup in focus.
“We know how important seam bowling all-rounders will be probably in a year's time when we go to South Africa and Namibia,” Gambhir said.
The India head coach also did not rule out the possibility of Pandya and Reddy featuring together once Pandya returns and both are available.
“Once Hardik comes back, obviously it's going to be good. Sometimes we could even go on to play both of them in the playing 11,” he said.
Reddy himself has recently returned from an injury layoff. He missed India's tours of Ireland, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe after suffering a quadriceps strain. His bowling form improved significantly during the Afghanistan series, where he took three wickets in consecutive matches after an uncertain start.
Reddy conceded 30 runs and struggled with his lengths in the opening game but subsequently produced stronger performances with the ball.
Gambhir described Reddy's bowling progress as one of the biggest positives from the series.
“It's been a huge plus for us because we want to expose him to most of the international games because we know how important he is - whether it's in 50-over format or going forward in T20s as well,” he said.
The coach pointed out that genuine seam-bowling all-rounders capable of contributing with both bat and ball are valuable options for a team.
“There are not many guys going around who can bowl and who can bat at the middle order. So it's a massive positive that the way he's bowled in this series,” Gambhir said.
He added that Reddy's performances had demonstrated the importance of giving him regular bowling opportunities.
“He didn't start off that well in the first game, but then we always know that the more you bowl in international cricket, the more he's going to get better and that's what he should,” Gambhir said.
According to Gambhir, having Reddy available for the West Indies series after his withdrawal from the Asian Games would allow the team management to continue developing his skills.
“You could see, the more he bowls, the better he becomes and we have, when you can develop a couple of seam bowling all-rounders, it will always be handy in a year's time,” he said.
Asian Games Absences Pose Preparation Challenge
Gambhir also acknowledged that the absence of several frontline players from India's ODI series against the West Indies because of their participation in the Asian Games was not ideal preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
India is beginning preparations for the next 50-over World Cup, and Gambhir said the team would ideally want its leading players to get as much regular ODI cricket as possible.
“Look, it's not ideal. Obviously, we know that it's not ideal when we are preparing for a World Cup, which is in a year's time,” he said.
At the same time, Gambhir noted that the Asian Games squad had been selected well in advance, making it difficult for selectors to make major changes at this stage.
“The Asian Games squad was selected long back. Sometimes it's difficult for the selectors when they have to put the best squad in place. So, we always knew that if the best team goes to the best, the front-line players go to the Asian Games,” he said.
India will therefore have to make some adjustments for the West Indies ODI series, according to Gambhir. However, he also viewed the situation as an opportunity for younger players to gain experience at the international level.
“We will probably have to compromise a bit in this one-day series against the West Indies. But again, it gives other people the opportunity as well,” Gambhir said.
Among those set to receive opportunities are Naman Dhir and Auqib Nabi. Gambhir said the exposure could help the team expand its pool of players capable of contributing in white-ball cricket.
“In a series like this, we've got young guys like Naman Dhir and Auqib Nabi getting those opportunities in this squad. So, they can also show what they bring in white ball format,” he said.
He also mentioned Vipraj Nigam, who is set to travel to the Asian Games, as part of the wider group of emerging players being developed by the team.
“The bigger the pool, the better it is for us when we have this opportunity in the next three one-day games,” Gambhir said.
He explained that when the full squad is available, younger players can sometimes struggle to find opportunities. The current circumstances could therefore provide valuable exposure.
“Normally, when you have all the players available, sometimes players might not get that opportunity. But now, with people like Vipraj, Naman and Auqib, these guys will get their opportunity,” he said.
At the same time, Gambhir acknowledged the importance of having the best players available for major preparations.
“From one end, it's good. But on the other side, obviously, you want the best players,” he added.
Injuries and Regularity Remain Concerns
Gambhir also admitted that the repeated absence of key players because of injuries has not been ideal for either the coaching staff or ODI captain Shubman Gill.
He said India's main players need consistent match time, particularly with the next ODI World Cup approaching.
“If I give you an honest answer, then yes because, especially in Test cricket, and one-day cricket, you want your main players to play more of it as the next World Cup is in 50-over format,” Gambhir said.
He also highlighted the impact that frequent changes in personnel can have on a young captain.
“More importantly, it's not fair on a young captain as well if he doesn't get the best team, playing consistently and regularly and not being on the path consistently,” he said.
Gambhir said he was prepared to accept criticism as coach but believed that providing Gill with a settled squad was important for India's preparations in both red-ball and white-ball cricket.
“For me, I think it is important for Shubman to get the best team and eleven as many times as he can in red ball and in white ball formats as well,” he said.
For now, Pandya's return remains dependent on his fitness and ability to build up sufficient match readiness. His proposed India A stint against Australia A could serve as an important step in that process, while Reddy's continued exposure gives India another option in the seam-bowling all-rounder role.
With the 2027 World Cup roughly a year away, India's management will be looking to balance player workload, injury recovery and opportunities for emerging cricketers while building a squad capable of providing greater continuity in the 50-over format.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
