The Indian team has received a major boost as star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been cleared to play for the Men in Blue in their upcoming series against Afghanistan. The two sides are slated to take on each other across three ODIs in Lucknow, Dharamsala, and Chennai on June 13, 17, and 20.
It is worth noting that Pandya had missed some games for Mumbai Indians in the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2026 due to back spasms and was at the CoE in Bengaluru since June 2.
"Hardik was on a holiday abroad before he checked in at the CoE on June 2. Over the next five days, he did several match simulations and even bowled (full quota of) 10 overs," a BCCI source told PTI.
"There has been no discomfort, and the information is that his fitness data for various parameters have been okayed by strength and conditioning coaches at the CoE," the source added.
It is interesting to note that recently, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak came forward and talked about how he does not have an update on Hardik’s fitness status. He did reveal that the star all-rounder is doing fine. Furthermore, fans will breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Hardik has been able to bowl a complete spell of 10 overs in training, which means he is cleared to compete in the upcoming ODI matches. However, it has not yet been made clear whether Hardik will be joining the side in Chandigarh for training or if he will link up with the squad directly in Dharamsala, which was the original plan.
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India to kick off ODI series in Dharamsala
Speaking of the upcoming ODI series between India and Afghanistan, the two sides will kick off the three-game affair by taking on each other in the first ODI at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on June 13. After registering a dominant win in the only Test of the series, India will be hoping for more of the same in the ODIs as well. On the other hand, Afghanistan will be aiming for significant improvement.
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