Some happy news for Hardik Pandya fans, as his return to competitive cricket is getting closer, with India’s prolific all-rounder named in the India A squad for the 3-match unofficial ODI series against Australia A, which will be played from October 6 to 11 in Puducherry.
Yes, Hardik has been named in the India A squad, but there is a catch: his availability for the 3-match series is subject to fitness.
The 15-member squad is led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, while Karnataka’s southpaw Devdutt Padikkal has been elevated to the vice-captaincy. The squad also features the likes of Sai Sudharsan, Rajat Patidar, and others.
Injuries have been an integral part of Hardik Pandya’s career so far, and he has been out of competitive cricket following the conclusion of IPL 2026. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation for quadriceps and leg-strain issues at the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. He has relocated to Bengaluru to train full-time at the COE and has rented a house on the outskirts of the city.
Hardik hasn’t featured for India in any format since playing in the T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on March 8, which India won convincingly to lift their 3rd T20 World Cup title.
With India set to tour New Zealand for a multi-format series next month, Hardik Pandya will be hopeful of recovering in time, and the unofficial ODI series against Australia A provides the right opportunity for him to make his return to competitive cricket.
Hardik has also been linked with various rumours suggesting that he might move away from Mumbai Indians in the IPL following a lean patch he endured earlier this year.
India A One-Day Squad
Priyansh Arya, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rajat Patidar, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Arshin Kulkarni, Arshad Khan, Naman Dhir, Hardik Pandya*, Prabhsimran Singh (WK), Gurjapneet Singh, Yash Thakur.
