Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the upcoming England series due to an injury, sources confirmed to ANI. The development is a major setback for the Indian cricket team as they prepare to face England in a multi-format series starting July 1.
Series Schedule
The series will kick off on July 1 with the first of five T20 Internationals, followed by a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series concluding in late July. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already announced India's T20I squad and is expected to unveil the ODI squad soon.
Virat Kohli's Fitness
Meanwhile, star batter Virat Kohli remains sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 final, where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru successfully defended their title. Kohli is likely scheduled to undergo a fitness test on June 26 ahead of the England series.
Pandya's Injury Details
Pandya suffered a leg strain, which came after the back spasms that caused him to miss four of the Mumbai Indians' (MI) 14 games in the IPL. During the IPL, Hardik did not inspire confidence with bat, ball and his captaincy. MI ended in the bottom half of the table, and Pandya could score just 206 runs in 10 innings at an average of 22.88 and a strike rate of 138.25 and could take just four wickets.
Previous Fitness Concerns
Pandya is also not a part of the ongoing three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. Ahead of the Afghanistan series, according to sources, Pandya had earlier been declared fit by the Centre of Excellence (CoE) and had also submitted his fitness report to the BCCI two days before the scheduled departure. "He was declared fit by COE and sent his fitness report to the Board two days before, but after his final session before leaving COE, he had some issues about his fitness," a source told ANI.
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