The latest medical assessments coming out of the CoE are hinting towards a long and cautious road ahead for the all-rounder who had had to face several injury issues over the last 2-3 years.
The star all-rounder is currently deep into rehabilitation at Bengaluru’s Centre of Excellence for a stress injury on the inner side of his shin, according to a report. Hardik Pandya ‘s wait to feature in meaningful competitive cricket before next year’s Indian Premier League looks to have been extended. Hadik is reportedly still three weeks away from even starting light jogging, and once he clears that hurdle, his running load will be increased gradually over the course of another eight weeks.
In fact, it is quite possible that Hardik will not be seen in action until the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2027 season. Of course, India will be tied up with a grueling five-match Border-Gavaskar Test series against Australia from January 21 to March 3, but given that Hardik no longer plays the longest format, that window passes him by as well.
The medical team has wisely chosen not to slap a hard deadline on his full match-fitness, acknowledging that getting him back to peak physical condition simply cannot be rushed, according to a report in Dainik Jagran . When you map out the months, the math leaves only one logical conclusion: Hardik Pandya’s competitive return will likely happen straight into the IPL next year, though it is yet to be known which franchise’s jersey will he be wearing. Away from Pandya’s rehabilitation, the wider injury room is seeing some positive movement. Rishabh Pant is gearing up to begin light skill training as early as next week, while any final call on Prashasti’s availability will be locked in only after a round of rigorous match simulations.
