'He cannot bowl...': Gautam Gambhir reveals clear plan for Hardik Pandya's India return
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "'He cannot bowl...': Gautam Gambhir reveals clear plan for Hardik Pandya's India return")
Gambhir reveals clear plan for Hardik Pandya's India return Photograph: (AFP)
Coach Gautam Gambhir said that Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy could play together for India once Pandya regains full fitness and is able to bowl regularly.
Indian men’s team head coach Gautam Gambhir said on Thursday that Hardik Pandya is currently not fit enough to bowl 10 overs in an ODI, adding that India does not want to rush the all-rounder back into international cricket as he has played very little competitive cricket in the last four months. Pandya remains an important part of India’s limited-overs setup but has regularly been managed due to fitness issues and workload concerns.
Gambhir indicated that once Pandya becomes fully fit to bowl, India could potentially play both him and young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in the same XI.
“Hardik Pandya can’t bowl 10 overs at the moment. We don’t want to rush him into international cricket. When he is fit, there is a possibility of both he and Nitish playing,” Gambhir said at the post-match press conference.
India defeated Afghanistan by 127 runs in the third T20I to complete a 3-0 series sweep.
Gambhir’s comments suggest that Pandya’s return will depend largely on his ability to contribute with the ball as a genuine all-rounder, rather than being picked only for his batting.
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Pandya was named in the India A squad for the one-day series against Australia A in Puducherry, subject to a final fitness assessment by the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence.
He has not played competitive cricket since IPL 2026 due to a series of injuries and was selected for India’s ODI series against Afghanistan in June but suffered a leg injury before the matches.
Earlier, he had missed four games for Mumbai Indians due to back spasms and was undergoing conditioning work at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence when he suffered another setback.
The 32-year-old is expected to undergo a fitness test next week. While he is likely to be cleared, the selectors remain cautious about rushing him back, given his importance to India’s balance in the 50-over format.