Pandya, Bumrah Set to Miss SA ODI Series Ahead of T20 World Cup: Report

With next year’s T20 World Cup the priority, all-rounder Hardik Pandya — currently recovering from a quadriceps injury — is unlikely to feature in the ODI series.

Against South Africa starting November 30, with his immediate focus restricted to the shortest format. Frontline pacer Jasprit Bumrah is also expected to be rested from the three-match ODI leg as part of workload management, given the limited relevance of 50-over cricket in the lead-up to the T20 showpiece.

Hardik picked up the quadriceps injury during the Asia Cup T20 in Dubai last September, forcing him to miss the final against Pakistan.

“Hardik is recovering well from his quadriceps injury. He is at the Centre of Excellence completing his Return-To-Play routines. Coming back from such an injury, jumping straight into 50-over cricket is risky. Until the T20 World Cup, the focus for both the BCCI medical team and Hardik will remain on T20Is,” a BCCI source told PTI.

Hardik is expected to prove his match fitness for Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before returning to India duty for the T20I series against South Africa and New Zealand.

While India also play three ODIs against New Zealand, the 50-over format is of limited importance at this stage. Senior players are expected to shift their attention back to ODIs only after the next IPL, as the cycle builds toward the 2027 ODI World Cup.