Hardik Pandya's fresh injury rules him out of T20I series vs New Zealand

The premier all-rounder of the Indian side, Hardik Pandya, has picked up a fresh injury to his right shin, which is set to rule him out of the action for a long time, including the upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand, as the blue brigade has started their preparation for the upcoming ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. 

Pandya’s last competitive game came on May 24 when he featured in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), leading the Mumbai Indians. His contribution as a bowler and lower-order batter will be incredibly vital for India’s aim to win their third ODI WC title.

Hardik Pandya picks up a fresh injury setback, forcing him out of India's upcoming assignment

Pandya was reportedly set to be back in action on September 20 as the selectors kept him in the upcoming one-day series against Australia A, beginning on October 06. However, he sustained fresh injuries during his recovery period at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.

“This is very unfortunate, but Hardik's latest scan reports have revealed an injury to his right shin. He has been advised complete rest for a period of two weeks. BCCI's medical panel head Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala has seen his reports and, on his return from Japan, will assess him and decide on when he can start his rehabilitation.” The BCCI source revealed to PTI, as reported by the Deccan Herald.

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The BCCI even wanted Pandya to travel with the Asian Games 2026 squad, for which the BCCI’s operations team took his passport for visa-related work. However, just before the T20I series against Afghanistan, he developed a new pain in his knee while doing the fielding drills.

India will now have to plan without their premier all-rounder for the full T20I series against New Zealand

After the end of the home series against the West Indies side, the blue brigade will travel to New Zealand for the five-match T20I series, which begins on October 22 at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. It will finish on November 01 at Seddon Park in Hamilton, while the ODI series starts on November 04 at Eden Park in Auckland. 

Over the course of the last four months, the all-rounder has suffered a niggle at least thrice during the ODIs against Afghanistan, the T20Is against England, and the series against Australia A. This proved to be an issue toward his comeback.

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With the New Zealand series out of the equation, the blue brigade will now have to wait for the Zimbabwe series in January or be part of the Baroda side in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2026/27.