Hardik Pandya has suffered yet another injury setback, forcing him to withdraw from the upcoming A series against Australia in Puducherry. The all-rounder was scheduled to participate in the One-Day matches beginning October 6, but a newly diagnosed shin injury has effectively sidelined him once again. Beyond missing this series, his availability for the five-match T20I tour of New Zealand—which is set to commence on October 22—now remains in significant doubt. Hardik was set to feature in the One-Dayers from October 6 but a fresh shin injury puts him back on the sidelines.
This latest development adds to a challenging period of rehabilitation for the cricketer. His return to the field was previously halted in June while at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where a quadriceps strain prevented him from appearing in the ODIs against Afghanistan. Although his participation in the Australia A series was contingent upon receiving medical clearance, his recovery progress has stalled less than two weeks before the opening game.
Pandya’s competitive appearances have been sporadic recently. His most recent T20I outing occurred during the World Cup final in Ahmedabad this March, while his last ODI appearance was in the Champions Trophy final in March 2025. Although he managed to play in 10 out of 14 matches during this year’s IPL, he has remained absent from competitive cricket since that tournament concluded.
