• Source:JND

Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya will now be seen representing India in the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan after a forgetful outing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, where the five-time champions failed to qualify for the playoffs.

According to reports, Hardik is expected to visit the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in the first week of June. He is likely to report on June 2 and spend around 10 days there working on his fitness and recovery.

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Although Hardik has been named in India's squad for the Afghanistan ODI series, his place in the playing XI is not guaranteed. The BCCI has made it clear that he must first pass all required fitness tests before he can take the field.

The selectors included him in the squad on the condition that he receives full fitness clearance from the Centre of Excellence. If he meets all the required standards, he will be available for the ODI series.

Back Injury Remains a Concern

When announcing the squad, the BCCI also stated that both Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma would need fitness clearance before taking part in the series.

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The two players suffered injury concerns during their time with Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2026. In Hardik's case, he has reportedly been struggling with back spasms, which have affected his availability during the tournament.

Hardik's performance in IPL 2026

The injury forced him to miss several important matches, including games against Delhi Capitals (DC), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Even while sidelined, Hardik remained involved with the team and continued training in the nets. He eventually recovered enough to return before the end of the Mumbai Indians' IPL campaign.

Hardik, who captained MI in eight matches, managed to score 146 runs in 8 innings at an average of 20.85 and a strike rate of 136.44 (Highest Score: 40). He also had a forgettable outing with the ball as he managed to pick 4 wickets in 7 innings with an expensive economy rate of 12.26.


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