He has not played any ODI match since the champions trophy 2025 final.
India have announced their squad for the ODI series against New Zealand, which is set to begin on January 11. One notable omission from the squad is Hardik Pandya, as he has not been included for the series.
The BCCI has decided not to include Hardik Pandya in the ODI series to carefully manage his workload, with the focus on keeping him fully fit for the T20 World Cup 2026.
“Hardik Pandya has not been cleared by the BCCI COE to bowl 10 overs in a match and considering the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to follow, his workload is being managed,” BCCI statement reads.
The all-rounder made his comeback in the five match T20I series against South Africa in December 2025. Before that, he was out of action for around two months due to a quadriceps injury suffered during the Asia Cup 2025, which forced him to miss the final and the ODI and T20I series against Australia. Hardik has not played any ODI match since the champions trophy 2025 final.
As he is India’s key all-rounder in T20 cricket, it is important for the team management to handle his workload carefully.
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The Indian team management understands how important a fully fit Hardik Pandya is going into a major tournament. A major setback came during the ODI World Cup 2023, when he was ruled out halfway through the tournament due to a foot injury, and the Indian team missed him in the final. He played the entire T20 World Cup 2024, where India went on to win the title. As a result, keeping him fit for the upcoming tournament is a top priority for India. Even though he is not allowed to bowl 10 overs in a match for now, this can be managed in T20Is, where he is required to bowl only four overs.
After the T20 World Cup, the focus for Hardik Pandya will shift to the ODI World Cup 2027, which will be held in South Africa.
His recent performances also show why he is so important to the team. In his first match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season, Hardik Pandya scored 133 runs off just 92 balls. Before that, he was in good touch in the T20I series against South Africa, scoring 59* in the first match and 63 in the fifth.
Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal
Note:*Shreyas Iyer’s availability is subject to fitness clearance from BCCI COE.
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