Shreyas Iyer’s Team India will take on Afghanistan in a T20I series beginning on September 13 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
Published: September 1, 2026, 10:55 AM IST
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/cricket/bad-news-for-star-player-from-mumbai-indians-hardik-pandya-ahead-of-afghanistan-t20-series-he-is-set-to-be-ruled-out-8514200/
Hardik Pandya was captain of Mumbai Indians in IPL 2026 season(Photo: IANS)
India vs Afghanistan 2026 T20: Shreyas Iyer’s Indian T20 team are set to take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series beginning at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 13The reigning T20 World Cup champions will be coming into this series on the back of 3-0 whitewash against Zimbabwe last month and will look to continue their winning run ahead of Asian Games 2026 in Japan later this month.
Mumbai Indians captain and all-rounder Hardik Pandya was expected to make a comeback in the T20I series against Afghanistan after being ruled out of international cricket since the IPL 2026 seasonHardik, who was retained for Rs 16.35 crore by Nita Ambani’s Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2026, injured his quadriceps before the ODI series against Afghanistan in June this year.
Read more:
Good news for fans of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Team India in Delhi, BCCI is set to create HISTORY
Since then Hardik has been recuperating at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, having shifted his base from Mumbai to the cityAccording to a TOI report, Hardik was making good progress at the CoE and was expected to test his fitness in the Afghanistan series.
However, the 32-year-old all-rounder has suffered a fresh setback just days before the BCCI selectors will pick the squad for the Afghanistan T20I series“Hardik Pandya was operating on full intensity without any discomfort but he has been advised to pause bowling due to discomfort in his legHe will resume soon, but the Afghanistan series is too close to reach the required fitness levelsBatting and movement-wise, there wasn’t any significant issue but the CoE needs to be completely convinced before giving an all-clear,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by TOI website.
Hardik Pandya’s much-awaited international comeback has hit another setback
Pandya has reportedly suffered a late leg niggle while training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, forcing him to pause bowling temporarilypic.twitter.com/Q86YA92UkW
— CRICKETNMORE (@cricketnmore) September 1, 2026
The last of Hardik Pandya’s 138 appearances for Team India in T20I cricket came in March in the T20 World Cup 2026 final vs New ZealandSince then he has missed ODI series against Afghanistan in June followed by white-ball series in Ireland and England as well as T20I series in Zimbabwe.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar recovery on track
The report also added that all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are making good progress in their recoveryIt will be interesting to see if the selectors gamble with bringing back Reddy and Sundar for the Afghanistan series ahead of the Asian Games 2026.
However, Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians teammate Jasprit Bumrah is still to get clearance from the CoE to return to international cricketWhile Bumrah is being preserved for ODI and Test cricket keeping in mind the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 next year, the BCCI selectors were keen on check on his fitness in T20I games ahead of the longer version.
