In a major blow to Team India, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya is expected to be sidelined for a significant period following an injury during the recently concluded Asia Cup tournament. The latest injury puts his participation in the upcoming tour of Australia in serious doubt. As per a report by Dainik Jagran, the Mumbai Indians captain has been advised a minimum of four weeks of rest after picking up a left quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup Super 4s clash against Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Stadium.
According to the report, during the Asia Cup final broadcast, former India head coach Ravi Shastri confirmed the news about Hardik’s injury. The 31-year-old all-rounder bowled just one over against Sri Lanka in the Super 4s before leaving the field in discomfort. He did not return for the remainder of the match and was later ruled out of the final. Hardik was replaced by Rinku Singh in the final of Asia Cup against Pakistan.
Hardik Pandya likely to miss the ODI series against Australia
The white-ball series in Australia begins October 19 in Perth. The tour includes three ODIs and five T20Is. Even in the event of an early recovery, the report suggests that Hardik will most likely miss the ODI leg of the tour. The one-day series could also see the much-anticipated return of senior pros Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom retired from Test cricket earlier this year and have been on a break from limited-overs cricket.
The T20I series begins on October 29 at the Manuka Oval in Hobart, but it's uncertain whether Hardik will be fit in time. A final call on his availability will be taken after the BCCI’s medical team shares a detailed report with team management in the coming days.
Hardik’s Performance at the Asia Cup 2025
In the six matches he played during the tournament, Hardik took four wickets while opening the bowling alongside Jasprit Bumrah. With the bat, he managed to score 48 runs, with a top score of 38 against Bangladesh in the Super 4s stage.
In the final, India managed a gritty win over Pakistan by five wickets. Chasing a target of 147, India were in early trouble at 20/3 after losing Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shubman Gill cheaply. However, Tilak Varma anchored the innings with an unbeaten 69 off 53 balls, supported by Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh, guiding India to victory with two balls to spare.
