Published on: Jun 15, 2026 5:05 pm IST|Updated on: Jun 15, 2026 5:05 pm IST
Indian cricket fans are facing a lot of confusion right now. Just a few days ago, star all-rounder Hardik Pandya passed his fitness tests for the white-ball series against Afghanistan, but suddenly, he was ruled out of the series after a new quadricep injury took over. Now, everyone is asking the same question: Will Hardik be healthy enough to board the flight for the England series this July? Let’s break down the situation in plain and simple terms.
Hardik was originally resting at the BCCI’s medical center in Bengaluru to fix a bad back. He worked very hard for a week, and the doctors finally told him he was fit to play. However, during his very last practice test, where he had to bowl fast for 10 full overs, he felt a sharp pain in his thigh.
Medical scans later showed he had a quadriceps strain (a pulled thigh muscle). Because a thigh injury made it painful to run and bowl, the decision was simple: Hardik had to drop out of the Afghanistan series for a prolonged recovery.
It is important to note that even before this fresh thigh injury happened, Hardik was not named in India’s T20I squads for the tour of Ireland and England, nor was he included in the Asian Games roster. Check out Team India’s T20I squad for the 5 T20Is vs England.
The selectors did not drop him due to bad form. Instead, they left him out on purpose to give his body a break from the shortest format. The plan was to keep him away from T20Is so he could focus 100% of his energy on being fit for the longer 50-over ODI matches, keeping in mind the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa. Unfortunately, this fresh thigh strain has now put a temporary pause on that plan.
The short answer is yes, it is still highly likely. While missing the Afghanistan matches is a big disappointment, the good news is that this new thigh injury is quite mild. It is a small muscle pull, not a deep or serious tear. Doctors have advised Hardik to have a clear recovery plan:
Week 4: Begin practicing batting and bowling in the nets at full speed.
Since the three-match ODI series against England does not start until July 14, Hardik has a full month to get completely healthy. If his body responds well to training over the next two weeks, the team management will definitely include him on the plane to London.
The Indian team management, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, views Hardik as their most important player for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
An all-rounder who can bat powerfully in the middle and bowl fast overs gives the team perfect balance. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained this long-term strategy very clearly:
“Like Jasprit Bumrah, if we can get him playing well and keep him fit for one-day cricket — that is, at this point, the main objective.”
Agarkar also added:
“The main objective is to see if he can start playing well and stay healthy with 50-over cricket with the World Cup in a year and a half. It gives us a lot of balance. The World Cup is in South Africa, if he is bowling well enough.”
If the doctors decide that flying to England is too risky for Hardik’s thigh, India already has an exciting backup option ready. Young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is already with the squad vs Afghanistan. He can bowl decent medium-pace and hit massive sixes. While he doesn’t have Hardik’s years of experience, a tour of England would be the ultimate test to see if he can become India’s next big cricket star.
For now, Hardik is in a race against time. Fans will have to wait for the official team announcement later this month to see if his name is on that UK flight list for the one-day matches.
Team India will kick off their tour of England 2026 with five T20Is starting from July 1st at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. The ODIs will begin on July 14.