Hardik Pandya to Return in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Following BCCI Directive

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is poised to return to competitive cricket by representing Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, following the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s directive for top players to participate in domestic tournaments.

Pandya becomes the second high-profile cricketer, after former captain Rohit Sharma, to comply with the BCCI’s “play domestic to play for India” guideline. Rohit has reportedly expressed his intention to play the Vijay Hazare Trophy, though official confirmation from the Mumbai Cricket Association is pending. Virat Kohli, meanwhile, has not made any move and is currently in London with his family.

Hardik has been undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru following a left quadricep injury sustained during India’s Asia Cup match against Sri Lanka. The injury had ruled him out of the final against Pakistan and the subsequent white-ball series in Australia. He is now reportedly close to achieving full match fitness.

If all goes according to plan, Pandya could feature in Baroda’s opening game of the tournament on November 26 in Hyderabad, or at the latest, in their second fixture. Once he receives Return to Play (RTP) clearance from the CoE, he will join the Baroda squad in Hyderabad to gain competitive match practice ahead of India’s upcoming ODI series against South Africa.

India’s three-match ODI series against South Africa is scheduled in Ranchi, Raipur, and Visakhapatnam on November 30, December 3, and December 6. The home season will then continue with a five-match T20I series starting December 9 in Cuttack.

Hardik’s participation in at least one Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game would mark his return to international cricket after nearly three months on the sidelines.