BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Saturday (December 9) shared an update on injured Hardik Pandya’s possible return to cricket.
Hardik was last seen in action during India’s World Cup 2023 match against Bangladesh in Pune on October 19. He picked up an ankle injury during that game, which ruled him out of the remainder of the tournament. Since then, the all-rounder has been working at the NCA to regain his fitness.
Apart from the major chunk of World Cup, Pandya also missed the five-match T20I series against Australia. He hasn’t been considered for selection for the upcoming South Africa tour either.
Speaking to the media after the WPL 2024 auction in Mumbai, Shah said: “Hardik Pandya could be fit for Afghanistan T20 series in January”.
Team India’s all-format tour of South Africa will conclude on January 7, 2024. Subsequently, India will host Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series, starting January 11.
Recently, Hardik Pandya returned to Mumbai Indians (MI), the IPL franchise where his cricketing journey began.
Hardik moved from GT to MI with the 2022 champions receiving INR 15 crore in their purse for the IPL 2024 auction. It was an all-cash deal, making Pandya the first title-winning captain to be traded in IPL.
