India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has completed an intensive rehab block at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) and has been cleared to bowl in the T20Is, with his comeback expected in the five-match series against South Africa next month, according to a PTI report. The 32-year-old has finished his Return to Play (RTP) protocols at the CoE between October 21 and November 30 and has been declared fit to resume competitive cricket in the shortest format.
Hardik has been sidelined since suffering a left quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup in September, an issue that ruled him out of the Australia tour and the ongoing ODI series against South Africa.
The BCCI had already signalled that he would be managed as a T20I-only asset in the lead-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup, and his clearance as a full-functioning all-rounder, able to bat and bowl, is a major boost to India’s plans.
SMAT games to test match fitness
As part of the phased return, Hardik Pandya will now turn out for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy to test how his body copes with a competitive workload. PTI has reported that he is set to play at least two matches - against Punjab (2nd December) and Gujarat (4th December) - with the focus firmly on how his body responds to bowling in back-to-back games. A third outing, against Haryana on December 6, is also understood to be on the radar as part of his comeback schedule.
Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha, now part of the national selection committee, has been assigned to track Hardik’s progress during this domestic stretch and relay feedback to the selectors and team management. The presence of a selector on the ground underlines how central Hardik’s role remains in India’s T20I structure, both as a finisher with the bat and as a seam-bowling option who balances the XI.
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{{/usCountry}}Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha, now part of the national selection committee, has been assigned to track Hardik’s progress during this domestic stretch and relay feedback to the selectors and team management. The presence of a selector on the ground underlines how central Hardik’s role remains in India’s T20I structure, both as a finisher with the bat and as a seam-bowling option who balances the XI.
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{{/usCountry}}The first T20I between India and South Africa is scheduled for December 9 in Cuttack, followed by matches in Mullanpur and other venues across the five-game series.
If Hardik comes through the Baroda games unscathed, he is certain to link up with the national squad for that series.
Hardik’s return also fits the BCCI’s broader workload-management roadmap. With the 2026 T20 World Cup now less than three months away, the board has prioritised keeping its premier all-rounder fresh and available for the format where his impact is greatest, rather than rushing him back into the ODIs with limited immediate context.