Hardik Pandya has regained full fitness after recovering from a left quadriceps injury sustained during the 2025 Asia Cup. The all-rounder last played a competitive match on September 26 against Sri Lanka and had been sidelined since. He entered the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on October 14, spending 42 days undergoing rehab and training.

Hardik Pandya cleared to return to play

According to the Times of India, Hardik has been granted Return to Play (RTP) clearance by the CoE medical staff.

While he was initially expected to return for the India vs South Africa ODI series, the BCCI decided to exercise caution. With the 2026 T20 World Cup just two months away, the board preferred to gradually ease Hardik back into competitive cricket rather than risk aggravating his injury.

Now fully fit, Hardik is set to feature for Baroda in the 2025–26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), playing under his elder brother Krunal Pandya in Hyderabad.

Baroda has lost its first two matches, and Hardik will skip the third game to continue careful management of his workload. He is expected to play three upcoming fixtures: December 2 against Punjab, December 4 against Gujarat, and December 6 against Haryana.

However, with the India vs South Africa T20I series scheduled to start on December 9 in Cuttack, Hardik may play only two SMAT matches before joining the national squad. Given his importance to the team, workload management remains a top priority to avoid any risk to his fitness.