Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy to be available for Afghanistan T20Is
Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy are progressing well in their recovery and are expected to be available for India’s three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The series begins on September 13 in New Delhi, with subsequent matches scheduled for September 15 and 17, all at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Both players have been undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where they work with the medical and coaching staff.
Pandya was ruled out of India’s white-ball tour of England due to a quadriceps strain and lingering back spasms. He has spent approximately seven to eight months at the Centre of Excellence as part of his recovery programme. Reddy, meanwhile, has been rehabilitating a hamstring niggle and has been training intensely at the facility, operating at full capacity during his sessions. Reddy maintains a disciplined schedule, returning home only during weekends while continuing his rehabilitation work.
Washington Sundar is also nearing the necessary clearances for the Afghanistan fixtures. Sundar spent the weekend in Chennai and will report back to the Centre of Excellence this week to prove his fitness before final selection. Like Reddy, Sundar has been working through a hamstring niggle at the facility.
“The practical target is the T20Is against Afghanistan and this will allow Washington Sundar to ease back into the set-up with the shortest format. His workload has gradually increased in the last few weeks, and he could be available for selection for the three T20Is,” a source told the Times of India on Monday.
“Both Reddy and Pandya have been at the CoE for a very long time now and only take breaks for personal commitments. Reddy only goes back home during the weekends while Pandya has anyways moved base to Bengaluru,” the source added.
The men’s senior selection committee, chaired by Ajit Agarkar, is likely to meet this week to pick the squad for the three T20Is. The timing of the meeting will allow the committee to assess the fitness status of all three players before making final decisions on squad composition.
Bumrah’s return timeline and Asian Games focus
Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the Afghanistan T20I series remains unconfirmed as he continues his rehabilitation following a knee injury sustained during England’s ODI series in July. Bumrah was ruled out of India’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka. According to reports, Bumrah could miss the three Afghanistan matches but is likely to play in the Asian Games 2026 tournament. The management’s plan involves easing him back into international cricket with the shortest format first, before focusing on ODIs and Tests post-2027 World Cup.
“Bumrah is progressing well. In buildup to the 2027 World Cup, the plan was that he would focus on ODIs and Tests but since the knee injury, the management wants to ease him back with the shortest format first. He is being closely monitored and while the Afghanistan T20Is could be too close for comfort, the Asian Games seem highly likely, provided there are no late surprises,” the source said.
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