IND vs SA: Massive Worry for Team India Just Before Series Kickoff

Hardik Pandya All Set for Comeback in India vs South Africa T20 Series — Skips Final Practice as a Precaution

India's all-rounder star Hardik Pandya is ready to make his much-awaited national team return after being sidelined for almost two months with a left quadriceps injury. The all-rounder is likely to play the first T20I against South Africa, which is to be played on Tuesday at the Barabati Stadium, Cuttack.

Hardik, after the injury recovery, then participated in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he represented Baroda, to get back in form. He played in two games and bowled four overs in each game which is a good sign that he is fully fit. BCCI ruled that Hardik will not play three matches because they can have a good assessment of his readiness with just two before the international series. After that, Hardik went straight to Cuttack to join the national camp.

Training Alone at Cuttack

At Barabati Stadium, Hardik had a one-on-one training session that involved warm-ups, stretching, running drills, and doing bowling for 20 minutes to throwdown coaches Nuwan Seneviratne and Dayanand Gharani. He appeared rejuvenated and in a great condition to play with the match.

Hardik Skips Final Practice — No Injury Concern

Nevertheless, fans were a little concerned when Hardik did not take part in India's last practice session on Monday. Speculations about a possible setback started but Cricbuzz soon cleared the air saying "it's not a new injury; Pandya has not picked up any injury at all". Sources further revealed that the reason for his absence was purely precautionary because the team is managing the player's workload ahead of the intense South Africa series and the T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon.

There have been accounts that during the bowling practice he looked somewhat uncomfortable; however, the BCCI has yet to release any official statement. So, the management is apparently taking all the necessary precautions to ensure he returns at peak fitness, considering Hardik’s significance in the Indian T20 setup.

Possible India Playing XI for 1st T20I vs South Africa

• Shubman Gill
• Abhishek Sharma
• Suryakumar Yadav (Captain)
• Tilak Varma
• Hardik Pandya
• Jitesh Sharma (Wicketkeeper)
• Shivam Dube
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Varun Chakravarthy
• Jasprit Bumrah
• Arshdeep Singh

With his return, India will look forward to Hardik being the one to bring back the balance and firepower in the squad to the beginning of a very important T20 cricket season.