India all-rounder Hardik Pandya has successfully gone through a rigorous rehabilitation program at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) and has been authorized to start bowling again in T20s, PTI said. His much-awaited return is likely to be during the India vs. South Africa five-match T20I series next month. The 32-year-old underwent an elaborate Return to Play (RTP) procedure at CoE between October 21 and November 30, after which the medical team pronounced him completely fit for the shortest format of the game.

Hardik has not played since he got a left quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup in September—the injury that not only ruled him out of the tour to Australia but also made him miss the current ODI series with South Africa. The BCCI had already pointed out that Hardik would be treated as a T20I player only up to the 2026 T20 World Cup, so his being declared a bowling all-rounder was a great help for India’s tactical planning.

SMAT stint to test readiness

In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), Hardik will play for Baroda, as a part of his slow return, to find out if the body can stand the competitive overload. As per PTI, he will be on the field at least two times, once against Punjab on December 2 and once against Gujarat on December 4, with a possible third game against Haryana on December 6. Such activities will indicate whether he is able to bowl in successive matches, which is a significant sign of match fitness.

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Pragyan Ojha, a former India spinner who is now the national selection committee member, is the one to look after Hardik's progress throughout the tournament and to provide the selectors and team management with real-time updates. His presence indicates Hardik's significance in the T20I setup of India, where he is still a power hitter and a good bowler.

The first T20I of the South Africa series is scheduled for December 9 at Cuttack, followed by Mullanpur and other venues. If Hardik gets through the SMAT games, fine, he will be considered for the national squad, which will then coincide perfectly with India's workload management during the T20 World Cup 2026 preparation; hence, it is a win-win situation.