Krunal Pandya will captain Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 trophy 2026.
Hardik had been sitting on the sidelines with injuries after he suffered back spasms in the IPL 2026. He hasn’t been able to play any games since May 24 in the IPL, while his last game for India came in the T20 World Cup 2026 in India.
Hardik was selected in India A’s squad to play a one-day series against Australia A in October, but he was ruled out because of a new injury in his shin area. According to ESPNcricinfo, Hardik was not completely pain-free while bowling at the time.
India will be eager to have their best T20 all-rounder back in the mix as soon as possible because the ODI World Cup in Africa is set for next year. In order to develop combinations and improve the team's preparations for the big competition, Hardik's return to action will be essential.
The Baroda squad has, apart from Krunal, prominent players like Jitesh Sharma, Deepak Hooda and Rasikh Salam. They start their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign against Chandigarh in Mumbai on November 14.
Baroda full squad for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2026
Krunal Pandya (C), Atit Sheth (VC), Deepak Hooda, Shivalik Sharma, Shashwat Rawat, Amit Passi (WK), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Bhanu Pania, Mahesh Pithiya, Parikshit Patidar, Hemant Punde, Raj Limbani, Rasik Dar, Dhruv B. Patel, Safvan Patel
Standby: Chintal Gandhi, Priyanshu Moliya
(ANI inputs)