Hardik Pandya ruled out of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy due to injury

According to a report by TV9 Gujarati, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the Baroda team due to an injury. Hardik is currently recovering from a bone stress injury. The BCCI has given clear instructions to the Baroda Cricket Association that instead of fielding Hardik in matches, his rehabilitation programme should continue at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Due to this decision, his plan to return to the field through domestic cricket has been put on hold for the time being.

Hardik Pandya last played for Mumbai Indians during the IPL on May 24, 2026. Since then, he has not been able to play any match for India following the T20 World Cup final on March 8. In October, he was included in the Indian team for the series against Australia, but he had to withdraw from that series as well due to a recurrence of a calf injury. Continuous injuries have raised serious questions about his fitness, due to which he had previously lost the captaincy of the T20 team.

In Hardik's absence, his elder brother Krunal Pandya will now lead the Baroda team, while Atit Sheth has been appointed as the vice-captain. Experienced players such as Deepak Hooda and Jitesh Sharma have been included in the team. The Baroda team is part of Elite Group A and will play its first match against Chandigarh in Mumbai on November 14. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be played from November 14 to December 6.

33-year-old Hardik Pandya has been an important all-rounder for the Indian cricket team. However, he has been plagued by injury problems for a long time. His Test career has already come to an end, but if fully fit, he still possesses the ability to play in the ODI and T20 formats. Now, with the rise of young players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Suryansh Shedge, the competition for Hardik to secure a place in the team has become more challenging.