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India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is edging closer to his much-awaited return to international cricket after being sidelined due to a quadriceps injury. The setback occurred just before the Asia Cup final against Pakistan, and Hardik has not featured in any match since then. According to a report by The Times of India, the star all-rounder is currently training at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru and is expected to be available at some stage during India’s white-ball series against South Africa.
Hardik training at CoE, nearing comeback
Hardik has been undergoing rehabilitation and fitness work since suffering the injury during India’s Super 4 clash against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup. He bowled only one over in that match before leaving the field and did not return to play in the tournament. The injury ruled him out of the Asia Cup final as well as India’s white-ball tour of Australia.
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A BCCI official said to TOI:
“After a holiday break, Hardik reported to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on Nov 21. He will be at the CoE for a month. He has started his gym sessions and should be back in action during the white-ball series against South Africa at some point.”
India’s schedule vs South Africa
India will tour South Africa for three ODIs followed by five T20Is, with the one-day series starting on November 30. If Hardik clears his fitness tests in time, he could rejoin the squad during this assignment.
India felt Hardik’s absence in Australia series
The team’s balance was noticeably affected in the ODI series against Australia. In Hardik’s absence, the management opted to leave out Kuldeep Yadav in order to maintain batting depth. The decision did not yield positive results as India lost the opening two matches and eventually went down 2-1 in the series.
With the ongoing T20I series against Australia also underway, it remains to be seen how the team adapts without a pace-bowling all-rounder in the middle order. The first match in Canberra was washed out due to persistent rain. Both teams will now look for a decisive result in the second game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
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