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Kapil Dev Says Hardik Pandya Must Play More to Reduce Injury Risk
Hardik Pandya has not played competitive cricket since the final week of IPL 2026, and his return to the India A side for the ODI series against Australia A, scheduled to begin on October 6, has been delayed. His return-to-play date was set for September 20, but he is now ruled out of the upcoming white‑ball tour of New Zealand. Former India captain Kapil Dev told the Times of India that Pandya needs to play more cricket. "I don’t know. You play more, your body gets tuned to that. But if you play less and suddenly you play more, chances of injury increase. If your muscles are fine, your injuries are less," Kapil said.
India is also dealing with several other injury concerns. Prasidh Krishna has been ruled out for at least three weeks and is likely to miss the five‑match ODI series against New Zealand. Harshit Rana has suffered a fitness setback and is unlikely to be selected for the tour of New Zealand; he was also ruled out of the three‑match T20I series against Afghanistan and the 2026 Asian Games. Rana was recovering at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru when he developed low‑grade pain in his left quadriceps during a match simulation.
Pandya’s absence comes after he last played in India’s white‑ball leg against England in July. Kapil noted that the spread of injuries over the last four to five years has prompted a discussion about whether the volume of cricket contributes to the problem. He cited Sandeep Patil’s observation that players in his generation played a variety of domestic formats, including the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, club cricket and other matches, and that playing 250 days in a 365‑day year kept players in the game.
The situation highlights the challenge of keeping key players available for longer stretches amid ongoing fitness concerns for the Indian team.